Bridgestone and Microsoft have developed a monitoring system for detecting tyre damage issues in real-time.

Tyre issues take four main forms: inadequate pressure, fatigue, irregular wear, and lastly, damage from curbs, potholes, or items on the road.

Most of these issues can already be reliably mitigated against as TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring systems) have been mandatory in all cars built since 2012, and help motorists avoid low-pressure problems. Regular service and replacing tyres in time will guard against wear and fatigue.

The exception, and safety gap, has been tyre damage – which often cannot be detected without close, manual inspection, and which can potentially occur at any time.

Bridgestone’s Tyre Damage Monitoring System delivers real-time awareness of damage, it says. It uses cloud technology together with existing sensor data, from hardware that is already installed, and uses algorithms to detect events affecting the tyre surface and carcass.

The system not only understands when damage has occurred, says Bridgestone, but also where. It therefore allows broader insight into road conditions and infrastructure, which can be used to alert the agencies responsible for road damage issues to the presence and location of potholes and other hazards.

Laurent Dartoux, CEO and president of Bridgestone EMIA, said: “It’s imperative that we work with industry-leading partners who can support our needs today and in the future.

“By teaming up with Microsoft we have the opportunity to bring our Tyre Damage Monitoring System to millions of drivers, offering them better safety and peace of mind.”

Currently, Bridgestone’s new Tyre Damage Monitoring System is available to all vehicle fleets and OEM’s that use the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform (MCVP).

The partnership with Microsoft also enables Bridgestone to further develop its solution to meet the requirements of fleets and key OEM partners around the world, it said.

Tara Prakriya, general manager at Azure Mobility and Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform at Microsoft, said: “Microsoft partners with mobility companies to support their transformation into smart mobility services providers.

“With the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, our mission is to help businesses accelerate the delivery of safe and personalized connected mobility experiences.

“Using MCVP, Bridgestone has created Tyre Damage Monitoring System that offers a remarkable contribution to road safety and proves how the collaboration between industry leaders can unlock new business opportunities ahead.”

A new report says self-driving vehicles may not offer the safety improvements often touted. Read more in the June digital edition of Fleet News.