The Pirelli Cyber Tyre: technical specifications

Cyber Tyre is the ‘intelligent tyre’ designed exclusively by Pirelli. It is a revolutionary sensor inserted inside the tyre which, thanks to a special electronic chip, interfaces directly with the other electronic devices used by the car, giving useful information and data for safe and correct driving. The device on which the functioning of the Cyber Tyre is based is a chip just over 1cm3 in size (1cm X 1cm X 1cm), self-powered by a system which exploits the energy released by the turning of the tyre itself (energy scavenging), which also makes it eco-friendly and with low environmental impact, since it needs no batteries.

The sensor has a transceiver which can transmit and receive data. By radio, it can transmit data directly to the car's on-board control unit; data such as the tyre temperature and pressure, and the triaxial acceleration (longitudinal, lateral and radial) generated by the interaction between the tyre and the road surface. It can also receive data from the car itself; data which may be useful for its functioning. The aim is to make the tyre become an “active sensor” at the service of the car’s control systems, such as the ABS and the ESP, with which it will communicate, supplying data and dynamic parameters such as the force of the instantaneous contact and the maximum friction available, in order to improve performance and reduce the need for other sensors present in cars today, allowing for a potential reduction in the cost of the vehicle as a whole. Some of the information will also be directly available to the driver by means of a graphic interface, which can help him to improve his driving style, adapting it to the road conditions and the grip, with a considerable increase in safety.