Pirelli expects 'cyber car' technology to debut in 2018

GENEVA — Pirelli & C. S.p.A. has developed its cyber tire/vehicle technology to the point it expects a digital system to be in use this year by a number of its OE partners, the tire maker disclosed this week at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show.

The technology, dubbed "Cyber Car," enables the tire to interact directly with a vehicle's on-board electronics and in particular with driver-assistance systems, Pirelli said, delivering key information about the car's operation to ensure a safer drive with enhanced performance.

Describing it as a "step forward in digital revolution," Pirelli said the technology captures the tire's functional parameters, including pressure, internal temperature and tread depth, and transmits them to the vehicle's on-board intelligence.

The system can then adapt ABS and stability control tools for a safer drive and better performance.

Cyber Car is the latest application of Pirelli's cyber technologies platform, which it launched in 2002.

It follows on from the "cyber fleet" system, designed for fleets, and Pirelli Connesso, intended for everyday motorists.

While Pirelli Connesso uses a sensor to talk directly to the driver, and cyber fleet speaks to fleet managers, the cyber car platform talks to both car manufacturers and drivers at the same time, Pirelli added.

Connesso is an integrated tire platform in which a sensor is embedded in the tread groove and connected via an app with the driver to provide information.

According to Pirelli, Connesso, which was launched last year on the American market, is about to debut in main European countries.

All of Pirelli's cyber systems are based on a sensor placed on the inside of the tire connected to the Pirelli Cloud.

The next evolution, according to Pirelli, will be the cyber tire system which promises collecting "even more data" and transmitting them to the car's on-board systems.

Cyber tire technology is not on sale yet, Pirelli said, but an initial application is already in action on the Ferrari FXXK, a 1000-horsepower development hypercar that is for track use only.