Continental Tire Sensor Detects Hydroplaning

Continental AG is developing a system to identify and counter conditions that can cause tires to hydroplane and lose grip in wet conditions.

Cameras from other vehicle safety systems detect the first signs of hydroplaning by the splash and spray patterns from a vehicle’s tires. This information is combined with data from embedded tire accelerometers that measure tire pressure and wear.

Future applications also could tap the information in connected and automated vehicle systems. In the former, vehicle-to-vehicle communications would be used to pass along data from a lead vehicle to alert other cars about changing road and weather conditions.

Conti says the technology is in the predevelopment phase, with engineers in Germany and France working on related hardware and software. The company didn’t say when the system might be commercialized.