Called Goodyear SightLine, the technology measures wear, load, tire pressure and temperature. It combines that information with real-time weather data and custom rubber friction insights to determine tire-road friction and detect low grip conditions.
“The tire is the only part of the vehicle that touches the ground, and this new level of data sophistication can communicate vital information to the vehicle,” said Chris Helsel, Goodyear’s chief technology officer.
That can be particularly useful in the wintry weather conditions Gatik might encounter with regularity in Canada.
Goodyear Ventures, the venture capital arm of the tiremaker, backed Gatik with an investment in its Series B round in 2021.
Meanwhile, Microsoft Corp. is in advanced talks to invest in Gatik as part of its cloud partnership with the company, two people familiar with the discussions told Reuters.
Microsoft plans to invest more than $10 million in a financing round that values Gatik at more than $700 million, the sources added. As part of the deal, Gatik will use Microsoft’s cloud and edge computing platform Azure in developing autonomous delivery technology for trucks.
The terms of the deal could change, added the sources, who requested anonymity to discuss private matters.
Reuters contributed to this report.