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Robots will be playing a key role in kickstarting the economy in the post-Covid-19 world, as stated in a survey by Automatica. This will be the case in a plethora of industries, including warehouse operations, plastic injection molding, and tire manufacturing and design. Take the example of tire giant Goodyear. The company is currently using data, AI and “digital twins” to create more reliable, sophisticated tires that will usher tires into the future . What are some of the newest developments in tire automation and robotics and how soon will the vision they create become a reality? Tires as More Intelligent Components of Cars Goodyear CTO Chris Helsel recently stated that the inspiration for tires being seen as a smarter component of cars is the electric and automated car boom. Tires are one of the most high-maintenance components of modern vehicles owing to the number of times they need to be checked and changed. Sturdy and dependably priced tires exist for almost any model of car, but Goodyear is looking at creating a permanent tire that may never need to be changed. While traditional tires will continue to exist in the near future, a bit further down the line, drivers can look forward to AI-reliant tires that “read” the way each driver handles their vehicle. These smart tires will feature rechargeable “pellets” that dispense synthetic material to alter a tire’s composition (in the same way a spider spins silk to change the structure of its web) as required by different driving styles. Automating Tire Manufacturing Automation can also speed up tire manufacturing and make it more cost-effective. Automation begins with storage, with different raw materials being placed into automatic storage and retrieval systems. These materials are then delivered via automation to various different preparation areas to be made into […]