The world’s biggest tyre maker, Bridgestone is working with Microsoft to develop what they call a world-first monitoring system for detecting tyre damage issues in real-time.

They say the issue is serious, with 30% of all car accidents caused by technical failure.

They say that while pressure issues, wear and fatigue are covered by existing sensors or servicing, tyre damage often can’t be detected without close, manual inspection, but can potentially occur at any time.

“Now that gap can be closed,” they say. Their solution uses Microsoft’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.

The companies say there is currently no other equivalent monitoring system available in the market and that alternatives would require extra hardware to be installed.

The system not only understands when damage has occurred, but also where, giving an 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.

The companies say 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.