Video: Bridgestone, Microsoft develop tire-damage monitoring system

BRUSSELS—Bridgestone Corp. and Microsoft Corp. have teamed up to develop a "world-first" monitoring system for detecting tire damage issues in real-time.

The technology is the "final piece" in tracking tire issues and offers a monitoring system based on the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, Bridgestone said.

Available to all vehicle fleets and OEMs that use MCVP, Bridgestone's "tire damage monitoring system" uses Microsoft's cloud framework together with existing sensor data and algorithms.

According to the Japanese tire maker, the technology can detect incidents that are affecting the tire surface and carcass in real-time.

Existing tire pressure monitoring systems and regular maintenance address many issues such as pressure, fatigue and irregular wear of tires, Bridgestone noted.

"The exception, and safety gap, has been tire damage. (This) often cannot be detected without close, manual inspection, and which can potentially occur at any time," the tire maker said.

The new system will inform drivers when the damage occurs and where it has taken place.

MCVP offers a digital infrastructure that can accelerate delivery of connected mobility solutions, backed by access to Microsoft Azure cloud, AI, and IoT capabilities, Bridgestone said.

"Digital is such a huge part of what we do today at Bridgestone; it's imperative that we work with industry-leading partners who can support our needs today and in the future," Laurent Dartoux, CEO and president of Bridgestone EMIA, said.

This is the second time Bridgestone and Microsoft have teamed up.

Several years ago, Bridgestone disclosed its development of "Tirematics," a digital technology solution designed to reduce tire inspection and maintenance workloads and help prevent tire-related operating issues in the commercial sector.