AKRON, Ohio — The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company and Gatik say they have developed a new tire intelligence technology that fits into autonomous driving systems.
Gatik’s autonomous fleet, consisting of Class 3–7 box trucks, “has made significant strides in enhancing the safety, accuracy and overall performance of autonomous vehicles (AV),” a news release stated.
Equipping the fleet’s Goodyear Endurance RSA tires with Goodyear SightLine technology, the company’s comprehensive tire intelligence solution, enables Gatik “to advance the safety and overall accuracy of its efficient fleet operations, while also improving delivery uptime and reliability,” Gatik officials say.
This year, Gatik plans to implement the intelligent tire solution into a significant portion of its autonomous fleet across the U.S. and Canada.
“Being the vehicle’s only contact point to the road, the tire can play a pivotal role in enabling the vehicle to react like a driver would,” said Chris Helsel, senior vice president, Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer, Goodyear. “Gatik is revolutionizing the autonomous technology space, and by providing real-time insights through intelligent tire data, we can support Gatik’s autonomous driving system to become even more safe, reliable and efficient.”
Gatik officials say they have performed extensive on-road testing to advance AV controllers, giving them insights about accurate cornering and braking stiffness, rolling resistance and tire load.
This data is then sent between Goodyear SightLine technology and Gatik’s autonomous driving system through a real-time feedback loop.
“The groundbreaking integration of Goodyear SightLine technology into Gatik’s autonomous fleet is a first in the industry. The real-time data derived from intelligent tire technology not only enhances the safety and predictability of our autonomous vehicles, but also enables us to maintain high levels of efficiency, reliability and delivery uptime throughout our operations,” said Gautam Narang, Gatik CEO and Co-founder. “Our partnership with Goodyear is another step in advancing Gatik’s leadership in autonomous technology, underscoring our commitment to ensuring that the true advantages of B2B middle mile logistics are brought to market.”
Goodyear and Gatik have future plans to incorporate Goodyear’s advanced predictive road condition monitoring solution into Gatik’s autonomous driving system. This integration will enable Gatik to strategically plan its operations, ensuring a consistent and reliable movement of goods for Gatik’s diverse customer base, encompassing the nation’s largest grocers, retailers, distributors, e-commerce platforms and CPG companies.
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