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By Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Senior Editor, Autos, Travel and Lifestyle
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Drivers know about potholes, frost heaves and pavement erosion long before the government organization in charge of the roads does. In Italy, that timing is becoming more equal.
The Apulia (Puglia) Regional Government launched a pilot project with Pirelli to test the company's Cyber Tyre functionality, mapping the area's road network and increasing safety. The project aims to create a "state of health" for the region's roads.
Pirelli's Cyber Tyre gathers data via an embedded sensor and then transmits it to the car's electronic control unit using 5G technology. The data is then transferred to onboard devices, like an infotainment screen.
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Three Pirelli tire lines feature the Cyber technology: Pirelli P Zero (PZ4), P Zero Corsa and P Zero Winter. Cyber-enabled tires are distinguished by a "C" on the sidewall.
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The data the tires transmit will be paired with data collected by Univrses technology via cameras on the test vehicle. It is the first project in the world that is capable of unifying the two types of data.
"The Apulia Region is proud of this forward-looking agreement, as we always are when it comes to ensuring the safety of citizens. Technology can save lives. In this case, it will be useful as a thermometer of the state of health of our roads," President of the Apulia Region, Michele Emiliano, told Newsweek.
"When you systematize factors such as innovation, intelligent and long-term planning, the exchange of best practices with a historic Italian and world tyre company, the result is an historic agreement, which does not entail any charges for the Region and I am sure will bring significant results," he continued.
The cars for the project have been supplied by Ayvens, a rental company that offers long-term rental services and fleet management. They are on the Apulian roads collecting data today.
"For Pirelli's digital development, Apulia is becoming an important center of excellence, fully integrated with our other research hubs around the world. At the heart of this innovation and the related activities lies the Cyber Tyre technology: this hardware and software system not only enables a connection between the road surface and the vehicle's control systems, but also allows for precise analysis of road infrastructure conditions, contributing to increased road safety," Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice chairman of Pirelli, told Newsweek.
The project is preparing Pirelli for the connected technology that will rule the day in tomorrow's smart cities. "In the future, Pirelli Cyber Tyre will also be able to provide essential information in anticipation of the advent of smart cities, communicating with the surrounding environment and other vehicles through 5G connectivity," the executive said.
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Pirelli has long-standing business interests in the Apulia Region. Part of its research and development team works out of Bari in the Digital Solutions Center, a software factory focused entirely on digital innovation.
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