Smart tires are coming – how consumers will benefit from sensor technology

The tire will tell you when it needs to be replaced Smart tires also enable new tire-related service models that can be utilized even before we ever see robotic cars on the streets.

In the future, tires will still continue to wear down and require replacement. However, purchasing a new tire set may become more effortless and unnoticeable than before, Penttilä says.

Future refrigerators can order new milk when you are running out, and the same can happen with worn tires. As your tires wear down, sensors can notify the tire shop, which can then deliver a new set to you or even fit them on your vehicle. According to Jukka Kasi, however, the first step is to notify the driver of tire wear.

The tire can relay the wear data to the onboard information system, which notifies the driver that the tires can be safely used for another three months. At the same time, the system instructs them to contact the nearest tire retailer and provides their contact information. This is similar to how current cars can notify the driver that they are running out of fuel and provide navigation guidance to the nearest service station.

Preventive maintenance becomes especially important as the popularity of shared-use vehicles increases – and especially once they start operating autonomously. This ensures that the riders will not be stranded.

Smart tires will appear before robotic cars

Even though the major revolution is still in the works, different sensor and smart tire solutions are already available. TPMS tire pressure sensors are already well-known to consumers, for example, but more advanced technology has so far been reserved for professional use. For instance, Nokian Tyres Intuitu is a concept for agriculture and contracting tires that combines tires with embedded sensors and a mobile app for data collection.

However, Jukka Kasi believes that solutions like Intuitu will become commonplace in consumer use – even before we ever see autonomous vehicles on the roads.

Smart tires will first become common on electric vehicles, since they have large tires and lots of sensors and links to the tires. This will happen in about five years, Kasi summarizes.