Sensors in the tires of a CAT 725 articulated truck (pictured above, left) will send data to SafeAI’s system.

Goodyear Tire (NASDAQ: GT) has forged a strategic tie-up with SafeAI, the AI specialist for autonomous solutions for the mining industry. The two companies will integrate a mining site and AI platform and process tire intelligence collected from rim-mounted sensors in heavy-duty vehicles. (CISION PR Newswire)

How it will work

A Caterpillar 725 articulated truck will be deployed at an active construction site in Cupertino, California. It has been retrofitted with SafeAI’s autonomous software.

Goodyear’s TPMS Heavy Duty rim-mounted sensors will capture and transmit tire data such as pressure, temperature data, and overall tire health by way of “tire intelligence.”

Goodyear’s integration with the SafeAI autonomous ecosystem will result in early warnings of adverse maintenance issues. These include underinflation or damage and result in downtime emanating from tires. Preventive action taken in time will also enhance safety standards in the construction industry.

COVID-19 has made matters worse and exacerbated unplanned downtime causing budget overruns and project delays. According to Goodyear, downtimes as high as 20-30% prevail in the mining and construction industries.

The Goodyear-SafeAI system, therefore, launches at an appropriate moment.

The new frontier: Tire intelligence for heavy equipment

“No matter the vehicle – automobile, freight truck or dump truck – tire intelligence can help elevate safety, performance, and efficiency,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear senior vice president and chief technology officer. “Through our work with SafeAI, we will not only empower site operators with greater visibility and efficiency but also gain invaluable performance data to inform our future innovation in autonomy and heavy equipment.”

SafeAI has built a software platform with AI-specific to the mining and construction industries. The company facilitates the transformation of existing machines into self-operating, robotic assets.

“We have purpose-built an interoperable autonomous technology that enables us to work with industry leaders like Goodyear and set the standard for autonomous heavy equipment,” said Bibrajit Halder, founder & CEO at SafeAI.

SafeAI has received strategic investments from Obayashi Corp. and Fundamental.

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