What does it take to make a car capable of autonomous driving? Apparently everything, including tires. American tire manufacturer Goodyear has come up with a concept tire capable of artificial intelligence.
Tire manufacturer comes up with artificially intelligent Eagle-360 concept tire. The American tire manufacturer previewed what is the Eagle 360 Urban concept tire at the Geneva Auto Show. The Eagle 360 Urban is a 3D-printed ball tire that is said to be artificially intelligent with the ability to sense, decide, interact, and even transform.
Jean-Claude Kihn, vice president of Goodyear Europe, Middle East, and Africa, said the Eagle 360 Urban, "A revolution will take place at the intersection of autonomy, mobility, and connectivity. As this unfolds, tire technology will be even more important than it is today. To safely navigate their surroundings, the autonomous vehicles of the future will need to learn to cope with the millions of possible unknowns we face in everyday driving scenarios. To do so, they will need access to data and the ability to learn and adapt."
Last year, the company revealed the Eagle 360 concept tire which was a multi-directional sphere produced to accommodate the demand for comfort, safety, and maneuverability in autonomous driving. It was warmly welcome when revealed which encouraged the tire manufacturer to up the ante this year.
This year we get the Goodyear Eagle 360 Urban which is said to have bionic skin with a sensor network. The sensor network allows the spherical tire to check its status and collect information on its surroundings which include road surface and conditions. This technically makes the concept tire part of the autonomous vehicle's nervous system.
The Eagle 360 urban is made out of super-elastic polymer which can expand and contract. Its outer layer is strong enough but remains flexible. Actuator elements are found beneath the tire's surface that helps the tire change its shape via electrical input. This allows more dimples on the tire during the rainy days and also smoothens the tire's surface during the dry season. More details of the company's Eagle 360 Urban concept tire can be found here.
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