Conti introduces two tire technology concepts

Hanover, Germany – Germany tire and technology company Continental AG has introduced two concept tires which are aimed at improving safety.

ContiAdapt combines micro-compressors integrated into the wheel to adjust the tire pressure with a variable-width rim.

The system can modify the size of the contact patch, which under different road conditions is a decisive factor for both safety and comfort.

The patches allow four different combinations to adapt to wet, uneven, slippery and normal conditions.

“For example, a smaller contact patch combined with high tire pressure make for low rolling resistance and energy-efficient driving on smooth, dry roads. By contrast, the combination of a larger contact patch with lower tire pressure delivers ideal grip on slippery roads,” explained the tire-maker in a release on 12 Sept.

The system also permits very low tire pressures of below 1 bar to be set, to help ease the vehicle out of a parking space in deep snow, for example, or traverse a dangerous stretch of black ice.

ContiSense uses tire sensors to measure tread depth and temperature and alerts drivers to tire damage, using electrically conductive rubber for data transmission.

ContiSense and ContiAdapt, said Conti, are joined by a concept tire that enables the benefits of both systems to be fully leveraged.

The tire design features three different tread zones for driving on wet, slippery or dry surfaces.

Depending on the tire pressure and rim width, different tread zones are activated and the concept tire adopts the required “footprint” in each case

Continental said it considered both tire technology concepts “promising” for the mobility of the future as tires are adapted to meet the needs of automated driving and electrification.

Conti will be displaying the new technologies during the IAA 2017 show in Frankfurt, Germany, 14-24 Sept.