Goodyear And This Technology Company Partners To Create Safe Future Driving, Can Prevent Aquaplaning

In 2022, Goodyear has also developed and tested airless tires specifically designed to support Starship delivery robots. (Doc. Goodyear)

Aquaplaning is now hotly discussed, especially when entering the rainy season with lots of puddles on the road. As a result, the car loses good grip on the asphalt which causes the car to lose control and even the car can be lifted and this is very dangerous.

Tire manufacturer Goodyear and innovative engineering company ZF reported by Autocar, February 16, have teamed up on the cutting-edge development of Goodyear and Cubix's smart tire system, software-based chassis controller "brain" from ZF.

The Sightline technology is capable of detecting upcoming events, such as aquaplaning or wheels that are almost locked due to loss of grip. Early detection is made possible by sensors inside tires that continue to monitor in detail. In contrast to the current ABS system, which can only detect problems after occuring through the wheel rotation speed sensor.

Goodyear itself has long developed data-gathering tires. They first showed off Intelligrip concept tires at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.

Even at that time, Goodyear claimed to have amassed millions of miles of testing through pilot programs. They predict the future of "connected tires" and have a mission to embed tire intelligence in all of its new products by 2027. So, the collaboration with ZF is not a surprise move.

System Working With Small Sensors And Advanced Software

The Goodyear system uses a small sensor printed on the inside of the tire sole. The data collected is then sent to the device in the car, then forwarded to the cloud. This opens up many possibilities, including sharing information about road surface conditions with other cars, as well as monitoring the wear viscosity.

Meanwhile, the Cubix of ZF acts as a "brain" controlling all the mechanical drive of the chassis in the car. It is capable of connecting all the chassis functions, such as steering, rear wheel steering, shock damping, brakes, and driving system. The ZF in 2020 states that the Cubix will carry a "new vehicle control level".

Now, coupled to the Sightline, chassis becomes ready to react to anything upfront. For example, detecting aquaplanting early on and then adjusting the speed to prevent it from getting worse.

If for example aquaplanting occurs, Cubix can configure chassis to stabilize the car based on information sent from each tire.

Goodyear says that the Sightline and Cubix duo are not only aimed at emergencies, but also to increase the responsiveness of vehicles. This makes the steering more linear and direct, with a better spin response and higher stability.

The system is also claimed to minimize the intervention of disruptive vehicle stability systems, as they are able to interpret what is happening to cars more accurately.

Although the Goodyear and ZF collaborations have so far been unique, other tire manufacturers such as Pirelli and Continental have also developed a smart tire sensor system for some time. It is worth looking forward to how this innovation will continue to develop and shape a future for a safer, more comfortable, and intelligent driving experience.