I-TireLab shows Michelin treating the tyre as a data source, with grip and wear estimates that could shape vehicle control
Michelin and four French research partners have opened I-TireLab, a joint laboratory backed by about €4.5m (US$5m) over four years to model how tyres behave on the road and in the factory. Its work spans tyre wear and grip estimates from sensors cars already carry and braking tuned to that data.
The lab pairs Michelin’s simulation, materials and process knowledge with estimation and control specialists at the University of Poitiers and Grenoble’s GIPSA-lab. It formalises a collaboration that has run for several years.
Road research should feed Michelin Touch Intelligence, a digital twin shown in May 2026 that gauges a tyre’s pressure, load, wear and grip without extra sensors. Reliable grip figures would give braking and stability systems a live read of how near a tyre is to its limit.
In the factory, simulation tools will pre-set rubber production equipment to hold quality steady and cut waste and energy use. A fourth strand studies flexible composites that change shape to steer air and water flows.
In a statement, Philippe Jacquin, General Manager and Director of Research and Development at Michelin, said: “I-TireLab will make it possible to turn science into real-world innovations, from tires and tire manufacturing to tire-vehicle interactions. Michelin Touch Intelligence, the tire digital twin is one recent illustration of what that means in practice: when we know more about the tire’s status and grip potential, we can enable vehicle adjustments and optimization.”
Source: Michelin
Source: www.automotiveworld.com
