Note: International press release. This is a 1:1 copy of the original issued by Bridgestone Corporation. No adaptations have been made to cater for the Australian market.

• Through its partnership with Microsoft, Bridgestone has developed a unique Tyre Damage Monitoring System, using Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform (MCVP).
• The system aims to increase road safety and reduce accidents caused by technical failure.
• This collaboration is the next step on Bridgestone's journey to become a global leader in sustainable and advanced mobility solutions.

Bridgestone, the world's largest tyre and rubber manufacturer, is collaborating with Microsoft to develop a world-first monitoring system for detecting tyre damage issues in real-time. These issues are a serious matter, contributing to some 30% of all car accidents caused by technical failure (1).

The final piece in tracking tyre issues

Tyre issues take four main forms: inadequate pressure, fatigue, irregular wear, and lastly, damage from curbs, potholes, or items on the road.

Fortunately, most of these issues can already be reliably mitigated against. TPMS (tyre pressure monitoring systems) have been mandatory in all cars built since 2012, and help motorists avoid low-pressure problems. Regular service and replacing tyres in time will guard against wear and fatigue.

The exception, and safety gap, has been tyre damage – which often cannot be detected without close, manual inspection, and which can potentially occur at any time. Damaged tyres can lead to accidents. They can also adversely affect other vehicle components, such as causing damage to the wheels, and thus create a further source of potential danger to motorists.

Now that gap can be closed. Bridgestone's Tyre Damage Monitoring System delivers real-time awareness of damage. It uses MCVP's cloud framework together with existing sensor data, from hardware that is already installed, and uses algorithms to detect events affecting the tyre surface and carcass. The driver can then be immediately notified of the hazard and act accordingly to remedy the situation. There is currently no other equivalent monitoring system available in the market. Alternatives would require extra hardware to be installed.

Moving forward

This tyre damage monitoring system has other valuable applications. The system not only understands when damage has occurred, but also where. It thus allows broader insight into road conditions and infrastructure, which can be used to alert the agencies responsible for road damage issues to the presence and location of potholes and other hazards. Future autonomous vehicles could also be beneficiaries of the system – as vehicles pass information about local hazards to others in the vicinity, as well as cloud data stores.

Currently, Bridgestone's new Tyre Damage Monitoring System is available to all vehicle fleets and OEM's that use MCVP. The partnership with Microsoft also enables Bridgestone to further develop its solution to meet the requirements of fleets and key OEM partners around the world.

A digital partnership for the future of mobility

MCVP provides one consistent, cloud-connected, horizontal platform across digital scenarios on top of which customer-facing solutions can be built, including in-vehicle infotainment, advanced navigation, autonomous driving, telematics and prediction services as well as over-the-air updates (OTA). It includes the enterprise-grade global availability and scale that comes with Microsoft Azure.

MCVP will provide Bridgestone with a digital infrastructure that will accelerate its delivery of connected mobility solutions, providing access to a multitude of Microsoft Azure cloud, AI, and IoT capabilities.

In turn, working with Bridgestone helps Microsoft grow its ecosystem of supporting partners, and enables MCVP's customers to integrate these partner's solutions into their own offerings.

Laurent Dartoux, CEO and President of Bridgestone EMIA, says: "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. By teaming up with Microsoft, we have the opportunity to bring our Tyre Damage Monitoring System to millions of drivers, offering them better safety and peace of mind."

"Microsoft partners with mobility companies to support their transformation into smart mobility services providers. With the Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform, our mission is to help businesses accelerate the delivery of safe and personalized connected mobility experiences. Using MCVP, Bridgestone has created Tyre Damage Monitoring System that offers a remarkable contribution to road safety and proves how the collaboration between industry leaders can unlock new business opportunities ahead", said Tara Prakriya, General Manager, Azure Mobility and Microsoft Connected Vehicle Platform at Microsoft.

(1) UK Department for Transport Statistics (2018) 'Contributory factors in reported accidents by severity, Great Britain, 2018"

- ENDS -

About Bridgestone in Europe, Russia, Middle East, India and Africa (EMIA)

We're Bridgestone Europe, Russia, Middle East, India and Africa, part of the world's largest tyre and rubber company. For almost 90 years, we've been providing the confidence to get people and goods where they need to go as conveniently as possible, without interruption.

Today, in a fast-changing world, we're evolving to provide real solutions to the real problems our customers face. This is why Bridgestone EMIA is rapidly transforming from a premium tyre producer into a mobility solutions leader. We're pioneering cutting-edge products and solutions with some of the industry's most advanced factories, world-beating technologies and coveted partnerships. As our transformation journey continues, we're working to shape the future of mobility.

For more information about Bridgestone in EMIA, please visit www.bridgestone-emia.com and www.bridgestonenewsroom.eu. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.