Pirelli launches 5G Cyber ​​Tires that detect hazards in real time

Pirelli and the Italian region of Puglia will launch the world's first "cyber tire" pilot with integrated sensors in July 2025. The system monitors the condition of the asphalt in real time using sensors in the tread and cameras mounted on vehicles. The technology, considered a strategic national asset, will be deployed in regional fleets connected by 5G. Italy thus seeks to improve road maintenance and safety through accurate data collected from the ground.

Tires that read the road

Italy will be the first country in the world to map the condition of its roads using tires. The initiative, promoted by the Puglia region in collaboration with Pirelli, will be launched in July 2025 using its Cyber ​​Tire technology. This involves a system of sensors integrated directly into the tire tread, capable of withstanding forces exceeding 3.500 G while capturing data on roughness, irregularities, temperature, and wear.

The vehicles will not be private, but part of a dedicated fleet managed by Ayvens, a European leasing and fleet management company, which will allow for systematic data collection. This data will be transmitted via bluetooth low energy to the vehicle's systems, and from there they will be sent to the cloud, where they will be accessible by authorities through digital panels. Instead of waiting for a pothole to be reported, the system will allow preventive, continuous, and data-driven monitoring.

This advancement turns the tire into a node of the Internet of Things (IoT), in constant communication with its environment. The wheels will provide real-time information on dangerous conditions, facilitating rapid interventions and improving road maintenance efficiency. The system's precision and constant updating promise to reduce accidents caused by poor road conditions.

A national strategic asset

The Italian government has officially classified this technology as “national strategic asset”. Why? Because what until now was a passive part of the vehicle has become a sensitive source of data on infrastructure, location and securityControlling and protecting this information thus becomes an issue of technological sovereignty.

Since 2022, Pirelli has strengthened its presence in Puglia with the creation of a Digital Solutions Center in Bari, in collaboration with the University of Bari and the Polytechnic University of Bari. This hub has promoted developments in artificial intelligence applied to tires and vehicle software, as well as key partnerships such as the one with Bosch to expand sensor capabilities.

Michele Emiliano, regional president of Apulia, summed it up clearly: "Technology can save lives. In this case, it will serve as a thermometer for the health of our roads." A real-time diagnosis that transforms road maintenance from reactive to predictive.

Real-time communication with 5G

The jewel of Pirelli's system is its integration with 5G networks, which allows the tires to communicate not only with the car, but also with other vehicles and nearby infrastructure. This interconnected ecosystem, first tested in Turin with Audi, TIM, Ericsson, and KTH, opens the door to instant alerts to road hazards.

An example: if an equipped car detects aquaplaning or loss of grip, it can immediately send that alert to the vehicles following it, with minimal latency thanks to 5G. This creates a “collective traffic intelligence”, in which each tire provides information to a common road safety system.

Beyond the condition of the road, tires collect data about model, tread depth, mileage, dynamic load, temperature and acceleration. This information is key to the car's automatic adjustment of traction control, emergency braking, and active suspension systems.

Future applications in mobility and autonomous driving

The Cyber ​​Tire not only improves immediate safety, but also paves the way for smarter, more environmentally aware autonomous vehicles. Integrated into the car's operating system, it can feed autonomous driving algorithms with real-time terrain data, anticipating decisions that currently rely exclusively on cameras and radars.

It will also be key in the development of smart urban infrastructures. As tires collect millions of data points per day, cities will be able to prioritize construction projects, detect areas of accelerated deterioration, and even predict structural failures before they occur.

The model combines sustainability, precision and automation. By avoiding manual or helicopter inspections, costs and emissions are reduced, while integration into public fleets allows the system to be scaled cost-effectively. It's a clear example of how the mobility of the future will not only be electric, but also deeply connected.

Where there was once rubber, there is now data

The wheel, a thousand-year-old symbol of progress, turns again toward the future. This time, not as a simple driving mechanism, but as a diagnostic, communication, and predictive tool. Pirelli hasn't just put sensors in its tires: it has created a new interface between the road and artificial intelligence.

In an era where every layer of our cities is becoming intelligent, the asphalt can no longer remain blind. Turning wheels into information hubs transforms the very logic of transportation: Mobility is no longer measured only in kilometers, but in bits.

What began as a regional trial in Puglia could quickly spread to other cities around the world. Because if every car on the road can also be a traffic inspector, the infrastructure becomes alive, reactive and secure. It is a promise of more conscious, more precise, and more human mobility, driven, paradoxically, by what was once only rubber and pressure.