HANOVER: Within a few years, tyres may be informing a driver of their tread depth via small sensors built into the rubber of the tyres themselves.
"This is something we are already working on," said Nikolai Setzer, an executive at tyre and auto parts supplier Continental, during the recent IAA trucks trade fair in Hanover.
"The question of when this technology comes depends not only on us, but also on the sub-equipment manufacturers and the matter of when the customer will be willing to pay for this added value," Setzer explained.
Sensor technology produced by Continental is already available, providing updates on safe tyre pressure as well as the tyres’ temperature.
To implement a tread profile measurement system, "technically, everything is possible," Setzer went on, with one solution being contact sensors in the tyres.
"But cheaper solutions are also conceivable, such as analytics based on sensors that detect the rate of rotation. The rolling circumference declines as the tyres gradually wear down." Acceleration sensors or even cameras could also obtain the data.
Said Setzer, "You just have to find the right balance: the right technology that efficiently delivers the proper solution."
Starting in the second quarter of 2017, Continental hopes to offer its customers ContiConnect, an online portal that can monitor tyre pressure and temperature of an entire fleet of cars or trucks in real time.
The new product idea is an example of how digital solutions create new business models that offer services beyond the original products themselves, a trend that was a key focus of the IAA exhibition.
