Pirelli Is Making Smart Tires for 5G Cars that Report on Road Conditions
Stay on target
There’s a good chance that your next car (assuming there is a next car in your future) will feature an always-on 5G connection. Pirelli thinks tires should tap into that wireless link to make our roads safer.
The company has developed a new sensor-packed tire that they call the Pirelli Cyber Tire. Catchy, right?
Pirelli figures that since your tires are the only part of your vehicle that comes in contact with the road that they’re the best place to gather information about the condition of its surface. The sensor could detect anything from standing water to snow and ice to debris.
It would then relay that information to your vehicle’s computer so it could direct advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to respond appropriately.
Pirelli wants to leverage 5G technology to take things a step further. They want the information gathered by the Cyber Tire to be shared with other vehicles on the road.
In a demonstration, Pirelli’s high-tech tire transmitted information about an upcoming hydroplaning risk to a car that was approaching. It happens in a flash, “thanks to 5G’s ultra-high band and low latency.”
High-tech safety and autonomous driving features are already becoming standard equipment, but the Cyber Tire’s status reports could help make the roads safer for all vehicles — not just those that are equipped with Pirelli’s sensors.
The Cyber Tire will do more than just track pavement conditions. Pirelli’s system will also monitor the mileage they log, the load they’re supporting and tire pressure in real time.
Yes, that does mean you might be seeing more nagging messages on your console like the ones from your TPMS sensors. Just think of them as a gentle reminder that your tires are a vital part of your vehicle’s safety systems and they deserve a little extra attention.
