Pirelli hopes that by embedding electronics in the Cyber Tyre, cars will be more in tune with the road and, therefore, making them more responsive in potentially life-threatening situations.
The handling characteristics of the average car are primarily determined by the tyres and the few square centimetres that are in contact with the road — commonly referred to as the contact patch. Up until now, tyres have been decidedly low tech, at least to the untrained eye. Pirelli is aiming to change this, while giving us more information about what happens where the rubber meets the road, with its upcoming Cyber Tyre technology.
Essentially, the Cyber Tyre is an intelligent tyre with an RFID (radio-frequency identification) microchip embedded that communicates with the car's electronic systems, such as ABS and traction control, relaying information about the state of the tyre. This information includes operating temperature and pressure, road surface information, vertical load exerted on the tyre, and dimensions of the footprint area. The chip is powered by the vibrations of the rotating tyre and is moulded into the tyre's carcass.
By monitoring the state of the tyre, many problems, such as blow-outs or fuel economy loss due to under-inflation can be eliminated pre-emptively. Pirelli hopes that by locating sensors in the tyre itself, the vehicle will be able to react more quickly to issues with traction than systems with the sensors located further up the drivetrain. It seems like a good idea, especially when you're dealing with a tonne or two of metal rounding a turn while perched on a few square centimetres of rubber, every nanosecond counts.
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