Dunlop reveals tires that can 'talk' to car

ERJ staff report (TP)

Geneva, Switzerland – Goodyear Dunlop have unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show 2014 a tire that “talks” to the car in order to improve performance, reported Chris Knapman for The Daily Telegraph.

The Chip-in-tire technology uses a battery-less microchip embedded in the tire (and not on the wheel rim) to communicate with a car’s onboard computer.

The car receives information such as tire pressure, temperature and even what type of tire it is, allowing it to refine its systems to offer the best performance in terms of cornering, braking and stability.

Goodyear Dunlop, which is displaying the Chip-in-tire technology as a concept at the show, says that improvements include reduced stopping distances when the ABS is activated, improved yaw stability and a better response from stability control systems.

“Today’s advanced vehicle control systems can greatly benefit from tire specific information,” said Marc Engel, Senior Engineer at Goodyear Dunlop. “We have always understood that when we were able to gather this information, we could deliver new levels of driving performance to the car. Today we are showcasing a first concrete step in that direction as we begin to translate the wealth of information received by the tire back to improving and enhancing the overall driving experience – it is a major step forward.”

Advantages of the chip being embedded in the tire, rather than on the rim such as current tire pressure monitoring systems, include that it is protected from any damage that might be caused when the tire is being fitted.

The manufacturer claims that the technology is very much in the development stage, and that no specific launch date is planned.

The show runs from 6-16 March at the Geneva Palexpo. (4-5 March are designated press days.)

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Full story from The Daily Telegraph