I-TireLab: Michelin and its academic partners are combining data and modeling to achieve better understanding of tires and improve tire manufacturing
- Today, Michelin, the University of Poitiers, Grenoble Alpes University, Grenoble INP – UGA, and the CNRS are inaugurating the I-TireLab, a joint laboratory that combines data and modeling to create future innovations in tires, tire manufacturing, and flexible composites.
- With a total investment of some €4.5M over four years, the project aims to bridge the gaps between academic research and industrial challenges.
- Its four research themes will contribute to safer, higher-performing mobility, less resource-intensive manufacturing, and the development of new applications for flexible composites.
I-TireLab brings together Michelin’s expertise in tire simulation and modeling, materials, and industrial processes and the expertise of the Laboratory of Computer Science and Automatic Control for Systems (LIAS – University of Poitiers) and the GIPSA-lab (UGA, CNRS, Grenoble INP – UGA) in modeling, system state estimation, and control methodology design.
It will provide a long-term framework for a partnership that has been operational for several years already, with the goal of turning data into knowledge, decisions, and actions.
The teams combine data analysis and modeling to represent and predict the behavior of tires, processes, and materials. They then assess the relevance and limits of those models by subjecting them to the challenges of data and experimentation.
Four research themes to achieve a better understanding of tires, optimize vehicles and manufacturing, and explore flexible materials
- The 1st theme aims to achieve a better vision of tire status on the road. The teams’ projects include work on real-time estimates of tire wear and grip that leverage data from existing on-board sensors, with no need for specialized equipment.
- The 2nd theme aims to incorporate that information into vehicle control systems. This research focuses on optimizing braking based on tire status and grip potential, with the ultimate goal of enhancing vehicle stability and efficiency.
- The 3rd theme focuses on rubber manufacturing. Researchers are developing simulation and control tools to plan ahead for production equipment operation and optimize equipment settings. The goal is to maintain consistent rubber quality while limiting raw material waste and energy consumption.
- The 4th theme explores ways of using flexible products to impact air and water flows around objects. Researchers are developing control laws to control changes to components’ shapes to modify flows.
Combining industrial and academic expertise to develop new methods and train researchers
The research carried out by the I-TireLab joint laboratory supports fundamental research that extends far beyond its target applications. Michelin contributes its understanding of product usage, its data, and its experimental and industrial resources. The academic laboratories contribute their theoretical and methodological expertise to design and validate new approaches. This collaboration will also help train young researchers working at the interface of fundamental research, experimentation, and industrial needs.
From tire digital twins to the Wisamo inflatable wingsail: real-world applications for researchers
Researchers have access to demonstrators and tests on partner sites so they can assess their methods in near-real-world conditions and potentially work on incorporating them into future Michelin innovation projects.
One of the planned applications for I-TireLab’s research is to contribute to enhancing Michelin Touch Intelligence, the tire digital twin that Michelin presented in May 2026. This virtual replica of a tire combines data from vehicle sensors and Michelin models to estimate tire pressure, wear, load, and grip in real time, with no additional sensors and for all brands and models.
Research on certain types of flexible composites could also support future development of Wisamo, the inflatable, retractable automated wingsail developed by Michelin. The first Wisamo sail is currently in the delivery phase. Wisamo uses wind to boost ships’ propulsion systems and reduce their fuel consumption, providing an early practical example of how these technologies can be used. The methodology developed may contribute to further improvements to its functions and performance.