Pirelli to Develop Tires for Remote-Controlled Rescue Vehicles

Pirelli has partnered with Italy’s Abet Group to develop technologies for remote-controlled electric unmanned ground vehicles (e-UGVs) designed for rescue operations in rugged and extreme environments. As part of the partnership, Pirelli will contribute its ‘Cyber Tyre’ technology and optical sensors to the project, allowing for real-time transmission of information to the vehicle and enabling maximum grip in different environmental conditions. The partnership also includes the development of a dedicated tire based on Pirelli’s ‘Run Forward’ technology, designed to enable the vehicle to confront and adapt to extreme surfaces. The companies will jointly develop artificial intelligence and machine-learning models to process data from the vehicle and cyber tire systems, including sensors and cameras. The goal is to use the data to develop predictive models and new on-board functions. The UGVs could be used in military logistics and rescue operations, including following natural disasters and in fires or highly polluted or potentially radioactive environments. According to Abet HTS CEO Fulvio Serra, the reliability of the tire and the collection of data and information greatly increase performance capacity and usage safety, making the Cyber Tyre technology indispensable.