The Michelin universal tyre digital twin

• Michelin expertise and AI combine to ensure a safer driving experience for users
  of any vehicle brand

• Innovation will support autonomous vehicle introduction, allowing for real-time analysis of tyre performance and wear from central computer

• Virtual model will enable better predictive maintenance and help deliver future innovation

Michelin has showcased its new universal tyre digital twin technology which can convert in-vehicle data into actionable insights in real time to make recommendations to the vehicle or its driver. 

Michelin’s digital twin is a dynamic virtual replica of a tyre. It continuously analyses and predicts the state of tyres at any given time factoring in pressure, wear, load, grip and driving conditions, comparing them with in-vehicle data.
This innovation leverages 130 years of Michelin expertise in tyre physics combined with advanced mathematical modeling, AI and data science algorithms. It is the result of years of research and development, enabled by numerous patents and validated by tests covering several million kilometers. Michelin aims to ensure a safer driving experience for everyone by allowing the vehicle to anticipate its behavior and improve performance without requiring input from physical tyre sensors.

The Michelin digital twin doesn’t simply supply information to the vehicle and driver. It interacts with the embedded systems to optimise performance, helping enhance safety by predicting maximum grip, preventing aquaplaning, boosting the effectiveness of ADAS systems such as ABS, monitoring tyre pressure and detecting any overloading. This means the vehicle can anticipate grip, improve its stability, optimise fuel consumption and adapt braking distances by as much as several meters.

The system is fully integrated and undetectable to the driver. It delivers tangible benefits on every journey, including critical real-time assistance depending on the condition of the tyres. For the driver, this means smoother, safer and more predictable journeys without changing driving habits.

By supplying a continuous flow of reliable data based on vehicle signals it also facilitates predictive maintenance, naturally extending the tyre’s lifespan. By ensuring the tyre remains in optimum usage condition, the digital twin can help tyres stay on the road longer, reducing the environmental impact related to the tyre’s lifecycle.

Michelin’s 100% software-enabled embedded intelligence-driven system makes use of existing in-vehicle data without requiring additional tyre-mounted sensors. It is a truly universal innovation which is compatible with all tyre brands and models and can be fitted to all types of vehicle – passenger cars, trucks or even self-driving shuttles.

The digital twin is an embedded “brain” which is perfectly adapted to Software Defined Vehicle – SDV - architectures. Michelin uses tyres as an invaluable source of data to help shape tomorrow’s mobility right from the heart of the vehicle’s data ecosystem. The arrival of Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs) and self-driving vehicles means that performance, features and user experience can continually be monitored and enhanced throughout the vehicle’s lifetime – ensuring safety throughout. 

Michelin is a pioneer in the sector and a key partner supporting manufacturers’ transition to SDVs.
This technology is driven by major collaborations, in particular with Brembo, Hyundai, QNX, ETAS and Sonatus, covering a range of activities from research through to industrial integration at scale.

The recent partnership with Brembo provides a tangible illustration of the benefits of the Michelin digital twin on ABS performance. Integrating data on the actual state of the tyre in braking algorithms has made it possible to boost braking system performance leading to shorter braking distances (up to 4 meters) and improved stability in particular during hard braking.