The world's first 5G-connected tire is here

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is a cyber tire.

Italian tiremaker Pirelli has designed a "Cyber Tire" that can send messages to your car's en­gine, and even to other drivers, said Loz Blain at NewAtlas. "The world's first 5G-connected tire" has a "sensor, processor, and communications disc about the size of a medium coin embedded inside that's designed to constantly monitor a bunch of variables."

Those include, naturally, tire pressure, but also "tread depth, tire temperature, acceleration," and the "ability to sense water and ice on the road." All that information is fed into the engine control so the car can automatically determine how to adapt traction control settings, suspension, or emergency braking. The Cyber Tires can also ping roadside 5G towers to send messages to nearby cars about hazardous road conditions.

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