Cars become an extension of the body when humans drive; we can feel the lack of grip in our car’s tires when driving over icy or wet roads. Autonomous vehicles don’t exactly have the same sensory abilities, which is one of the reasons why most AV testing and deployment happens in sunny climates.
Gatik, a Canadian autonomous trucking company, thinks tire-sensing data might be the key to bringing self-driving tech to wintery roads. The company is working with Goodyear, the iconic tire company, to prove that intelligent tires can accurately estimate tire-road friction and provide real-time information back to Gatik’s automated driving system.
“The tire is the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and this new level of data sophistication can communicate vital information to the vehicle, enhancing safety and performance,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s senior vice...
