The way we drive is changing. Globally, trends like urbanization, carpooling, and eventually, autonomous vehicles will mean that the demands we place on our vehicles will change, too. To meet this challenge, the design and function of every vehicular part must be re-imagined to fit these needs, and this includes the tire.
Goodyear is a world-leading supplier of tires for cars as well as every type of commercial, industrial and agricultural vehicle. The US manufacturer has built its reputation by leading the development of tire technology since the late 19 century. Here in the 21 century, it is still applying cutting-edge tech, including artificial intelligence (AI) to stay ahead of the competition.
The reasoning here is that, as cars become more electric and automated and less reliant on moving parts, the seemingly low-tech tire is an element where innovation can constantly bring benefits. It is one of the increasingly-few parts that still need routine maintenance and regular replacement. In an ideal world, it is also one of the few external parts that should come into contact with any physical object. This means it has access to a virtual “sensory faculty” – the sense of touch.
Goodyear CTO Chris Helsel explained to me that this was the jumping-off point, several years ago now, for a rethink of how the tire could become a more "intelligent" component – performing its duty more efficiently, while also helping to build a better understanding of what happens when the rubber meets the road.
He said, “We started thinking about how we can make the tires a more permanent structure for a vehicle through its life - and that was kind of the genesis behind this concept of the ReCharge.”
The concept tire – initially scheduled to be unveiled to the world at the canceled Geneva International Motor Show in March – uses AI to monitor and learn from driver behavior. Over its lifetime, it dispenses a synthetic material inspired by the carbon structure of spider silk, to alter the composition of the tire, adapting it to suit the way the vehicle is driven.
Different materials can be dispensed from interchangeable “pellets” that can be fitted to the tires. The pellets push the material through grooves in the tire structure, enabling it to effectively rebuild the exterior surface of the tire when it detects that wear has occurred. As well as reinforcing the surface (leading to longer-lasting tires – perhaps with a lifespan similar to that of the vehicle), the tire becomes more "personalized" to the driver.
When (and if) the technology goes into production, this could mean we are able to automatically receive "refills" from manufacturers, based on AI predictions of our individual usage patterns, in the same way, that we can now receive replacement ink cartridges for our printers.
