Goodyear, in partnership with TNO, a research organization out of the Netherlands, is developing a tire with embedded sensors built to detect slick driving conditions. Goodyear and TNO, who are displaying the tech, called SightLine, at CES this year, are hoping the tires and sensor will be able to work in conjunction with the advanced traction control and driver-aid systems found in many new cars to enhance on-road grip and reduce stopping distances.
More Grip, Less Slip
In essence, these tire-bound sensors look to trigger a car’s Automatic Emergency Braking system (AEB) sooner — both when the roads are slick and when an obstacle is detected, which is how the system functions traditionally. As in the photos above, AEB systems use millimeter-wave radar to scan for potential obstructions. If anything in the car’s path meets a set of parameters, for example, a stationary car approaching too quickly, the system will hit the brakes. Typically, automakers assume a certain level of grip necessary for AEB systems to work.
The new sensors Goodyear is developing will determine this assumed level of grip more accurately, enabling SightLine to work in low-friction environments like rain and snow storms, where the tech is arguably much more essential to safe driving. However, SightLine isn’t exclusively limited to these new sensors. Introduced in 2021, it also covers other intelligent tire tech, like treadwear detection and notification, road friction analysis, and air pressure monitoring.
Automakers Are Under Pressure
The new tech Goodyear and TNO are pitching to automakers aims to integrate seamlessly with existing driver-aid systems, and it’s coming just in time. A new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rule requires all vehicles sold in the US to have AEB by 2029. Automakers have already asked for a delay in the rule, citing the short four-year lead time they’ll have to fully integrate the technology into their lineups. The work has, however, already begun, and some 90 percent of new cars already feature automatic emergency braking technology.
However, the NHTSA’s new rule ramps up what is required of AEB systems. NHTSA regulators want better AEB tech that’s more sensitive to the most vulnerable road users: pedestrians and cyclists. As cities across the US come to terms with the implications of decades of urban sprawl and car-centric development, more mixed road use has become increasingly common. Cities like Denver, Los Angeles, and Portland now feature permanent, protected bike lanes, and the NHTSA argues automakers need better AEB systems to detect what are effectively smaller objects in the path of a moving car.
TopSpeed’s Take
Should Goodyear be able to bring the technology to market, it could provide a massive improvement in the efficacy of AEB systems. But it’s a double-edged sword, as any new in-car tech could be. The sensors may potentially drive up the cost of tires, and while the benefits to public safety are clear to see, consumers should be wary of increased repair costs as a result of the new tech.
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