Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has developed a new technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to estimate the properties of the rubber used in its tyres and also detect the structural changes that occur during use. It calls this technology ‘Tyre Leap AI Analysis’.
At the start of April 2019, Bridgestone formally completed its billion-dollar acquisition of TomTom Telematics. The goal – as ever – is to capitalise on the benefits of big data, leveraging its usefulness in the cause of better tyres and greater efficiency for all stakeholders. Of course, Bridgestone is not the only tyremaker seeking to make the most of tyre data. Many have invested significantly in developing cyber tyres over the course of the last 10 to 15 years, harnessing the fact that tyres are a vehicles’ only point of contact with the road and therefore the only means of generating real-time road surface:vehicle contact data. This same approach also yields tyre condition and performance data, which can be used for everything from motorsport to commercial fleet applications. But what about in the manufacturing process itself?
In 2016, Goodyear Europe launched its Proactive Solutions in the UK and 11 other European markets, offering fleets a predictive maintenance model. Goodyear’s know-how in the realm of artificial intelligence is now being put to use in the on-demand car sharing and ride hailing services sector in the USA; Goodyear Tire & Rubber has announced its participation in a pilot programme with start-up firm Stratim.
ZC Rubber has installed a smart factory project based on the ET industrial brain artificial-intelligence (AI) service system for manufacturing launched by Alibaba Cloud. The goal is to “greatly improve the production in the factories”, according to the company. The cooperation between ZC Rubber and Alibaba Cloud reportedly started at the end of 2016.
Valeo has launched the first global research centre in artificial intelligence and deep learning dedicated to automotive applications.
Under a three-year partnership agreement that commenced earlier this month, Continental AG and the University of Oxford are conducting joint research in the field of artificial intelligence. The German tyre and automotive system manufacturer’s partnership with the university’s Engineering Science department will focus on the possible uses and development of artificial intelligence algorithms in order to explore how they can enhance future mobility applications.
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