Goodyear’s smart tires team up with Gatik’s self-driving trucks to improve safety, efficiency, and reliability.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (NASDAQ: GT) and Gatik AI, Inc., leaders in their respective fields of connected mobility and autonomous middle-mile logistics, have announced an exciting collaboration. They’re expanding the industry’s first successful integration of intelligent tire technology into autonomous driving systems.
Gatik’s fleet of Class 3-7 box trucks is now equipped with Goodyear Endurance® RSA® tires featuring Goodyear SightLine technology. This comprehensive tire intelligence solution provides real-time data on road conditions and tire health, enabling Gatik to enhance the safety and accuracy of its operations. The result? Improved delivery uptime, reliability, and overall efficiency.
“Tires are the only point of contact between a vehicle and the road,” explains Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s Senior Vice President, Global Operations and Chief Technology Officer. “By harnessing the power of intelligent tire data, we can help Gatik’s autonomous driving system react like a human driver, making it even safer, more reliable, and efficient.”
Through extensive testing in various real-world driving scenarios, Gatik has used tire intelligence data to fine-tune its autonomous vehicle (AV) controllers. This data covers crucial aspects like:
- Accurate cornering and braking stiffness
- Rolling resistance
- Tire load
The real-time feedback loop between Goodyear SightLine and Gatik’s AV system allows the trucks to adapt swiftly and safely to diverse road conditions, even with varying payloads.
“This groundbreaking integration of Goodyear SightLine is a game-changer,” says Gautam Narang, Gatik’s CEO and Co-founder. “It not only enhances safety and predictability but also lets us maintain high operational efficiency and reliability. Partnering with Goodyear strengthens our commitment to bringing the true advantages of B2B middle-mile logistics to the market.”
The collaboration extends beyond tire technology. Goodyear and Gatik are also conducting rigorous testing at the Goodyear Proving Grounds in San Angelo, Texas. This ensures Gatik’s AVs are thoroughly tested in safe, controlled environments for various situations, including:
- Traffic lights and road signs
- Evasive maneuvers
- Tight turns
- Collision avoidance
- Precise lane keeping
- Minimum risk stopping distances
The future holds even more exciting possibilities. Goodyear and Gatik plan to incorporate Goodyear’s advanced predictive road condition monitoring solution into Gatik’s AV system. This will allow Gatik to strategically plan its operations, ensuring smooth and reliable goods movement for its diverse clientele, including major grocers, retailers, distributors, e-commerce platforms, and CPG companies.
