Pirelli has developed the world's first tyre that interacts with the 5G cellular network.

What if we tell you that there was a tyre of the future, an intelligent one that could detect and transmit information regarding road conditions to your vehicle as well as others nearby through the 5G cellular network? "Pish posh", might be your initial thought, but it seems like Pirelli has done it.

On 14th November last year (2019), the company presented the “World-first 5G enhanced ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) services” use case. The demonstration took place during “The 5G Path of Vehicle-to-Everything Communication” event organized by 5GAA – Automotive Association, of which Pirelli is a member.

Together with Ericsson, Audi, Tim, Italdesign and KTH, Pirelli staged a demonstration that took place on the roof of the Lingotto building, as the group showed how a vehicle equipped with a 5G network linked sensor-fitted Pirelli Cyber Tyre was able to transmit the risk of aquaplaning detected by the tyres to a following car. This was made possible due to the ultra-high band and low latency capability of the 5G cellular network.

Some of the future data we can expect to receive from the Pirelli Cyber Tyre, include kilometres clocked, dynamic load, and for the first time, situations of potential danger on road surfaces, from the presence of water to poor grip. This information in tandem with the car’s onboard technology will enable the car to adapt its control and driving assistance systems, greatly improving the level of safety, comfort and performance. In addition, it will provide the same information to other cars and the infrastructure.

Thanks to the potential of 5G, Pirelli is able to place the tyre inside a wider communication context which involves the enter ecosystem of on-road transportation, actively contributing to the development of solutions and services for future mobility and systems of autonomous driving.