Currently in a pilot programme, Goodyear SightLine will incorporate many data subsets and therefore be available in various packages to create more customized solutions for fleets. A global evaluation group of over 1,000 vehicles is currently testing Goodyear SightLine, ready for potential wider implementation by the end of 2022.
“The idea behind Goodyear SightLine is to democratize tyre intelligence,” says Sosia Causeret Josten, Goodyear SightLine new venture specialist. “Tyre intelligence is nothing new. It is common in specialist applications, but now is the time for it to become more widely available to all drivers and vehicles.”
Although SightLine is an overarching concept, the first sector of focus is cargo van fleets in the construction, field service and last-mile delivery sectors.
“In the first application, SightLine offers several options, from the complete solution including tyre sensors and a dongle plugged into the vehicle's OBD port to a full integration with existing telematics systems, all permitted to transmit real-time data to the SightLine cloud where it is processed into a smart algorithm,” explains Causeret Josten.
“This connectivity gives fleet operators and drivers the insights to manage fleets more efficiently, by preventing tyre-related downtime while reducing breakdown costs,” Causeret Josten says. “One benefit is to help adjust fleet operations and minimize operational disruptions, through constant monitoring, and more timely reactions, for example.” As a digital product, new features will be released on a rolling basis.
The first phase of Goodyear SightLine features includes leak detection, parked vehicle tyre monitoring and tyre pressure monitoring. Anticipated future elements will comprise tyre auto location, fuel economy through optimal tyre pressure monitoring, tyre load estimation, mileage, tyre road friction, tyre identification, and treadwear monitoring.
Looking to the future, Goodyear SightLine can be integrated into car makers' vehicles, too, enabling important safety features to inform vehicle control systems. Hydroplaning warnings, and overall tyre health monitoring will be useful features that will follow.
Performance improvement features are another area where Goodyear SightLine's technologies bring benefit, particularly in safety. “Typically, no matter what tyres you have, the ABS system will always react in the same way,” Causeret Josten explains. “However, if the ABS can tell that the vehicle is driving on half-worn summer tyres, it can react quicker, and reduce stopping distances. This advantage can play an important role in an autonomous future where the vehicle has to react itself.”