Pirelli has entered an agreement with RIDEsense, a spin-out from the University of Naples Federico II and the MegaRide Group specializing in advanced mobility technologies, to co-develop software solutions for integration into the Pirelli Cyber Tyre ecosystem.
The agreement sees the tire maker acquire a 24.99% equity stake in the company, with an option to increase its holding to 100%, and grants Pirelli a licence to use RIDEsense’s virtual sensor technology. The company said the collaboration is a further step in the Cyber Tyre ecosystem’s role within advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving systems.
Combining Pirelli Cyber Tyre’s physical sensors with RIDEsense’s virtual sensors (algorithms that process data from sensors already installed in vehicles) will broaden the system’s contribution to vehicle safety electronics, the tire maker said, and strengthen existing functions such as aquaplaning detection and enable new capabilities in tire and vehicle diagnostics.
Pirelli Cyber Tyre
Already fitted as original equipment on selected vehicle models currently on the market, the Pirelli Cyber Tyre system is an integrated hardware and software solution that collects data from sensors embedded in tires and processes it using Pirelli’s proprietary software and algorithms.
The information is transmitted to the vehicle’s electronic systems in real time, enabling new functions integrated with driving and control systems, including ABS, ESP and traction control.
The technology is intended to improve vehicle safety, performance and efficiency. It can also be used to monitor the condition of road infrastructure, helping to identify situations that may pose potential risks to road users. Pilot projects for this application are already underway in collaboration with public authorities.
RIDEsense
RIDEsense’s technology is based on physics-based algorithms that model vehicle and tire behavior. It is available both as software, implementing virtual sensors within standard production vehicle electronic control units (ECUs), and as hardware through the development of the dedicated Kymes platform, designed to provide direct access to the testing and motorsport markets.
“More than 20 years ago, we embarked on the journey that led to the integration of data collection and transmission capabilities into tires, giving rise to Cyber Tyre technology,” said Piero Misani, chief technical officer at Pirelli. “Our agreement with RIDEsense will further expand the potential of this ecosystem by strengthening its software component, which lies at the very heart of Cyber Tyre.”
“This is a significant agreement for Italy,” said RIDEsense chief executive officers Flavio Farroni and Aleksandr Sakhnevych. “It brings together Italian research and industry to take a project that began more than 10 years ago in Naples, within the Vehicle Dynamics Group at the University of Naples Federico II, and supported by the University’s technology transfer structures, onto Pirelli’s production lines. As mobility becomes increasingly connected, technologies capable of delivering greater safety, efficiency and driving quality are essential. This is the objective we share with Pirelli.”
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