Conti Touts In-Tire Sensor Tech for Autonomous Vehicles

Continental AG says its in-tire sensor technology could be used in future self-driving vehicles to provide more precise information about a vehicle's location.

Mounted directly to the inside of the tire wall, the tire pressure monitoring sensor can be used to track a vehicle's position within a road lane and whether one tire is on a different road surface. It also can measure tire and ambient temperature, wear and stress. Most current tire pressure monitoring systems are mounted on a tire's valve stem and measure only tire pressure.

In self-driving vehicles, in-tire sensors could be used in conjunction with radar, cameras and other sensors to pinpoint a vehicle's location and enable more sophisticated and reliable automated steering functionality, Nikolai Setzer, an executive board member for Continental's tire operations, tells WardsAuto.

He says several carmakers have expressed interest in Conti's so-called smart tire technology. It's currently available for aftermarket and commercial truck tires.

Conti bolstered its automotive electronics operations including emerging autonomous and connected technologies with its July acquisition of Elektrobit Automotive GmbH, a Finish developer of software and hardware in the automotive and wireless industries.