Pirelli acquires 24% stake in RideSence to secure 'intelligent tire' technology

Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli has announced a strategic partnership with RideSence, a university venture from the University of Naples Federico II, by acquiring a 24.99% stake in the company. RideSence specializes in virtual sensing technology, which Pirelli aims to integrate into its "intelligent tire" ecosystem to significantly enhance vehicle safety and performance.

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The combination of Pirelli's intelligent tire system's physical detection devices and RideSence's virtual algorithm technology is expected to dramatically expand the safety domain of electronic vehicle control.

The collaboration will focus on jointly developing next-generation software to bolster the capabilities of Pirelli's digital tire ecosystem. RideSence's virtual sensing technology analyzes data from existing sensors within a vehicle. When combined with Pirelli's physical sensors embedded in tires, this synergy is expected to create a more comprehensive understanding of the tire-road interface.

This integration promises advanced features such as proactive detection of aquaplaning and comprehensive diagnostics of tire and vehicle wear. Such capabilities are crucial for improving the accuracy of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and future autonomous driving technologies. Pirelli's intelligent tire system, designed as an integrated mechanical and software unit, transmits real-time friction data to the vehicle's control computers, working in conjunction with systems like ABS and ESP.

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The virtual algorithm technology analyzes organic data from existing sensors installed inside the vehicle.

Pirelli also sees potential applications beyond individual vehicles, envisioning a system that monitors road conditions in real-time and shares data with public authorities to prevent accidents. The company is currently conducting road tests in Europe for this public infrastructure application. RideSence, known for its proprietary mathematical models that precisely track the physical behavior of tires on road surfaces, will provide both virtual detection programs and hardware platforms like Kymes for motorsports and high-performance testing.

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This collaboration is a catalyst for maximizing software competitiveness, a key element of tire control technology, and expanding the domain of future safety technologies.

Piero Misani, Pirelli's Chief Technology Officer, highlighted that this partnership is a significant step in maximizing software competitiveness and expanding the scope of future safety technologies. Flavio Paroni and Alexandre Sakhnevitch, co-CEOs of RideSence, expressed pride in seeing Italian academic research integrated into a global manufacturing ecosystem, marking a milestone for university technology transfer.

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This is a prime example of original Italian academic technology merging with the manufacturing industry ecosystem.