The future of driving is going to be heavily dependent on more accurate and real-time road weather and road condition data as the availability of autonomous and assisted driving features are highly influenced by the driving conditions. Currently, as seen on many Electric Vehicles (EV), the assisted driving functionalities are disconnected to secure driver safety based on crude weather and road condition estimations, such as temperature drop to under 4 degrees Celsius or change in tire rolling resistance.
Multiple use cases already today
Real-time data from connected vehicles on tire grip, road friction, surface quality, and weather conditions combined with leading industry-specific weather forecasts, the aggregated data set has multiple use cases already today. This offers significant practical uses today, including reducing accident likelihood by expanding the availability of autonomous and assisted driving features in adverse road and weather conditions, assessing road quality with computer vision to optimize maintenance efforts, and reducing resource usage – such as minimizing winter road salt application. The benefits extend to all road users, from improved safety and reduced environmental impact to cost savings for road authorities and municipalities.
By integrating NIRA Dynamics’ connected vehicle data into Vaisala Xweather’s platform, this partnership creates opportunities for future advancements in road safety and autonomous driving. The combined data opens doors to further applications such as EV range optimization, traffic management, insurance risk assessments, and reducing accident rates.
“We all understand the impact of weather on road safety, and with Vaisala Xweather, we are pushing the industry forward. At NIRA Dynamics, our mission is to deliver data-driven solutions for safer, more efficient journeys,” says Lisa Åbom adding that NIRA is dedicated to delivering solutions that enhance the safety, performance, and intelligence of ADAS and AVs.
Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, Volvo, Stellantis, Renault, and Geely are some of the most prominent market players and NIRA customers that know all about it.