Introducing DAI virtual sensor

Easyrain DAI

DAI: THE NEW VIRTUAL SENSOR ABLE TO SECURE YOUR DRIVING ON WET ASPHALT 

A further step towards improving the automotive safety proposal: the new virtual sensor DAI allows the development of new safety functionalities based on deeply analyzed vehicle dynamics parameters. The DAI is ready for future applications with the ability to share data through a fully connected 5G network. Easyrain accelerates towards the market entry of its active safety systems. 

Rivoli, 02-08-2021. 

Easyrain’s proposal is enriched by an innovative safety solution with high technological content. From today the DAI, acronym of Digital Aquaplaning Information, is reality. 

Developed and patented by Easyrain, this virtual sensor is constantly analyzing the vehicle dynamics resulting from the existing road conditions and is immediately alerting the driver with different levels of warnings.  

On vehicles that have additionally installed Easyrain AIS system the DAI virtual sensor acts as an ultrafast trigger in case of aquaplaning.  

The virtual sensor DAI works through proprietary predictive algorithms that process vehicle dynamics data already available in the vehicle network without the need of any additional physical sensors.  

As a software defined module it can be integrated on all vehicles, by using an existing control unit leveraging on the platform concept. 

“We are proud to announce the first virtual sensor capable of warning the driver in wet asphalt conditions. Thanks to the DAI we are able to ensure greater safety for the driver and passengers and we are adding new predictive features to the vehicle, unique on the market. An example for that: an “Adaptive – Wet – Cruise Control”, the vehicle speed is managed in real time with the virtual sensor output of the DAI which is able to analyze the amount of water present on the road surface. In addition the DAI is a predictive virtual sensor: one of the functions – among others – is the instantaneous and automatic activation of the Easyrain AIS, the first active safety system able to counter with total effectiveness the aquaplaning phenomenon.   

The DAI can be integrated on all vehicles. Through interaction with the 5G network and the Smart Cities, the DAI could provide detailed information to warn vehicles about dangerous wet road conditions. The creation of a dedicated Cloud for wet road conditions would even extend this offering.  

We are constantly focusing on building a safer future! I would like to thank my team for the dedication during the development. This milestone represents a big step towards market entry”, declared Giovanni Blandina, CEO and Founder of Easyrain.  

 

DAI: technical details 

The DAI, developed and patented by Easyrain, is a virtual sensor able to make driving safe, discriminating the different levels of danger of wet asphalt and informing the driver through a system of three alerts within the vehicle HMI, customizable according to the needs of car makers. 

The virtual sensor DAI is characterized by proprietary predictive algorithms that process the vehicle dynamics information available in the car (longitudinal force, lateral force, tire slip). As a result, corrections can be either suggested to the driver or implemented directly into the vehicle setup to improve safety of driving in wet conditions. 

As a pure Software Component without the need of additional sensors, it can be integrated into all types of vehicles. 

The DAI allows the development of new vehicle functions, such as Wet Mode Information, deactivation of assisted driving and Wet Adaptive Cruise Control. 

In autonomous vehicles it adds an additional level of information of the environment in critical wet conditions not yet covered with the current sensor portfolio. 

The prevention of aquaplaning together with Easyrain AIS enables a new generation of tires with a lower Rolling Resistance reducing the CO2 footprint and extending the range of electric vehicles. 

It can be integrated with the 5G network and Smart Cities technology, ensuring the warning and sharing of safety information between nearby interconnected vehicles, as well as a dialogue with the infrastructure and prediction of the long-term deterioration of the road surface. 

Integration with the 5G network allows the data collection into the “Easyrain Cloud”, designed and developed for sharing and exchanging information about the asphalt and driving conditions both between vehicles and with the infrastructure network. 

The DAI application is designed as a component that can be managed through an OEM App-Store for connected vehicles. This enables additional safety as an upgrade and makes the introduction hassle-free. 

The three alerts system in the cluster 

The virtual sensor DAI alerts the driver with a three-level system of alerts visible directly inside the dashboard or digital cluster. The display of the warning system can be modulated and customized according to the needs of OEMs. 

  • First level: “Warning! Wet Road”.The driver is in a potentially dangerous situation on wet asphalt. The utmost attention must be paid. 
  • Second level: “Danger! Wet Road”.The water layer on the road surface is important. When combined with the sustained speed of the car, it determines the onset of aquaplaning. The driver is about to lose control of the vehicle. Pay close attention and slow down. 
  • Third level: “Alert! Aquaplaning”.The vehicle entered aquaplaning. Tires have lost grip, unable to dissipate the excessive layer of water on the asphalt. The DAI immediately activates the AIS system.  

“Warning! Wet Road”

proactive warning. You are not in aquaplaning but you are in a situation of potential danger. Pay attention.

“Danger! Wet Road”

important water layer and sustained speed determine the occurrence of aquaplaning. You risk losing controlmaximum attention and slows down!

“Alert! Aquaplaning

your vehicle has entered aquaplaningTires lose the grip. The AIS will be activated to restore adherence and ensure maximum safety and control of the vehicle.

AIS on a production series car!

NEW EXTRAORDINARY RESULT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FIRST ACTIVE SAFETY SYSTEM AGAINST AQUAPLANING.

THE PHENOMENON CAN BE SOLVED.

WE ARE WORKING FOR NO MORE VICTIMS ON WET ASPHALT.

A historic achievement for Easyrain and for the improvement of Automotive safety. The new prototype of the AIS developed for a series vehicle, and mounted on an Audi A6, works. The new tests in the Pirelli proving ground demonstrate the validity of the new latest version of the first system against aquaplaning.

 

Rivoli, 10/02/2021

The AIS works. Thanks to the commitment and research of Easyrain i.S.p.A. – in collaboration with Italdesign and Boschaquaplaning can be solved.

“I’m very proud. The new tests are a historic result: the AIS is ready and mounted on a production vehicle”, said Giovanni Blandina, Easyrain Founder & CEO.

“I thank the work teams, starting from my guys. A fundamental and obligatory milestone for continuing to industrialize the system. A step forward for improving safety in the automotive world. Our system solves a dangerous issue and so far without solutions. Saving lives is our vision, the reason we exist. Knowing that it is possible to do so is a source a deep responsibility but also of great pride, inspiration and joy”, added Giovanni Blandina.

“We are glad of the collaboration with Easyrain and Bosch on this amazing project. It shows once more the power of networking: our respective teams, in Italy and Germany, together have achieved amazing results. The highly innovative contents of this project aim to further improve the safety of our cars for the future” Antonio Casu, Italdesign CTO, said.

“Cooperation was essential to achieve the project’s goal. The Bosch subsidiaries VHIT and Bosch Engineering, in collaboration with Tecnologie Diesel and Centro Studi Componenti per Veicoli, are supporting the project development, from the concept phase to the test drive. A very good example of cooperation and collaboration and, in this critical period, was not so easy” added Alessandro Fauda, Engineering Development Manager at Bosch VHIT.

After years of research and hard work, in partnership with Bosch and Italdesign, Easyrain has developed and patented the first system capable of effectively countering aquaplaning. A dangerous phenomenon, the cause of tens of thousands of accidents with thousands of injuries and victims. Every year, all over the world.

A problem that the modern safety systems available on vehicles (ABS, ESP, TCS) are unable to solve.

The Easyrain AIS (Aquaplaning Intelligent Solution), thanks to a controlled water jet injected ahead of the front wheels, is able to restore the grip of the tire and the control of the vehicle, breaking the excessive layer of water on the asphalt that the tires cannot dissipate.

The AIS, characterized by a hydraulic system consisting of a pump and two foldable injectors, is activated thanks to the Easyrain DAI (Digital Aquaplaning Information), the proprietary activation software. The virtual sensor recognizes the onset of aquaplaning, instantly informing the system.

The AIS does not require additional sensors or tanks besides those already available on the vehicle.

AIS avoids accidents, saving lives.

Razelli new board member

Razelli Easyrain
A prestigious stage in the growth path of the company that consolidates its maturity, increasing its status. The reputation and the deep experience of Ing. Razelli represent an important contribution to the strategic development of Easyrain
Rivoli, 29/09/2020.
Easyrain i.S.p.A, SME specialized in the development of safety systems for cars, creator of the innovative anti aquaplaning AIS device, is proud to announce the entry of Ing. Eugenio Razelli in the Board of Directors.
Eugenio Razelli, born in 1950, is an authoritative exponent of the Automotive sector and a leading figure in the Italian industrial scene.
During his career he has held senior positions in various Groups.
He worked in Fiat Auto and Zanussi, becoming CEO of Gilardini Industriale in 1983.
After an experience in Pirelli as President & CEO of Pirelli Cable North America and later Senior Executive Vice President first of the Telecom division and then of the Energy division, from 2001 to 2003 he was President & CEO of Fiamm.
Since 2003 he has been Senior Vice President of the Business Development Unit of Fiat S.p.A.
From 2005 to 2015 he held the position of Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Magneti Marelli.
 
He is currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Safilo, Industrial Advisor of Fondo Strategico Italiano and Vice President of Texa.

It is an honor to be able to welcome Eugenio Razelli to Easyrain. It is news that fills us with pride and responsibility for the challenges that await us. His entry into the company consolidates our maturity, representing a fundamental stage for our growth.

Innovation has always been the basis of the automotive industry. Connectivity, electrification, autonomous driving, digitalization, sharing have helped to accelerate the gradient. Easyrain proposes itself with an interesting solution in the field of preventive safety in general and in improving performance in the sports field: a huge market opportunity.

New partnership with Italdesign and Bosch

Easyrain Italdesign

The active safety system designed to counter the acquaplaning phenomenon enters a new phase that will allow to design and create a new prototype fully integrated in a Audi A6 car. The new prototype will be developed following all the automotive standards, thanks to the support of two leading companies in the automotive field such as Italdesign and Bosch.

EasyRain, the innovative tech company active in the technology applied to road safety, announces the partnership with Italdesign and a brand new collaboration with Bosch Mobility Solutions to continue the development of its new “A.I.S.” system (Aquaplaning Intelligent Solution), the innovative active safety system designed to reduce the acquaplaning phenomenon.

This is an important step that marks the transition to a new growing phase for the company and for the device that allows to significantly reduce one of the main risk factors for road safety in case of driving on a wet surfaces, giving a strong contribution to the safety of self-driving cars in the future too.

Aquaplaning is in fact a very common phenomenon while driving and the cause of a large number of car accidents every year, about 50% of accidents occur on wet roads.

According to the European Road Safety Observatory, during 2018 there were 2,418 deaths in road accidents with rain conditions, 283 of which occured in Italy.

The new collaboration will allow EasyRain to be able to take a decisive step forward in the development of the AIS, allowing the transfer of all the know-how gained over the years of research in the development of a TRL7 prototype fully integrated into the car, thanks to the support of important partners such as Italdesign and Bosch.

A new automotive prototyping phase, which is expected to last until half of 2021, will lead to the definition of a level B prototype that will be integrated on an Audi A6 car. 

“Our mission is to increase road safety, our belief is to save lives: this is what we have been working on for years. We are very proud and excited to have signed a very important agreement with two leading companies in the automotive sector such as Italdesign and Bosch, who believe in the strength of our project as well as in the positive impacts that our solution may have on improving road safety” says Giovanni Blandina, EasyRain CTO“Thanks to the fruitful collaboration with Italdesign, we have scrupulously worked to find the necessary solutions to bring our research into an automotive product. With the new entry of Bosch as well, not only have we been able to create an incredibly motivated and enthusiastic work team, but we have undertaken this new phase of development, aware of the great technical challenges that lie ahead. At the end of this process we will be able  show the final version of our A.I.S security system in order to demonstrate all its incredible potential and to finally let it be tested by car manufacturers”.

“Italdesign has always been synonymous not only of Italian style but, above all, technological innovation. The partnership with an Italian company such as EasyRain to develop an innovative device in the field of road security represents one of the strengths of our company” comments Antonio Casu, Italdesign CTO. “For more than fifty years we have been developing cutting-edge solutions and safety, both active and passive, has been the number one priority at the base of our daily activities. The development of the EasyRain A.I.S. system is fully part of this philosophy and we are very happy to contribute to its development”.

“Safety has always been at the heart of Bosch Engineering’s activities, which is engaged in developing services and solutions for efficient, safe and connected mobility. Together with VHIT Spa, another Bosch Group subsidiary, Bosch Engineering supports EasyRain in the supply and development of prototype components. The collaboration with EasyRain confirms the Bosch commitment to zero-accident mobility, with the aim of simplifying driving and saving lives” says Andrea Maffiotto, Sales Manager Bosch Engineering Italy.

This new phase will be preparatory to test and validate the technical solutions that will be adopted in the following prototyping phase which will occupy the first half of 2021, at the end of which the system will be ready to face the industrialization phase.

What is A.I.S. and how it works

The “A.I.S” (Aquaplaning Intelligent Solution), is the active safety device designed to improve the safety of wheeled vehicles, countering a problem that has not yet been solved: the aquaplaning phenomenon.

It is the first active safety system in the world not to act directly on the car but to act on the surrounding elements. Once the installed software detects the onset of aquaplaning, an intelligent water injection removes excess water on the tarmac immediately restoring grip, thereby improving vehicle performance and safety.

The system is compatible with all vehicles and can be integrated with all modern driver assistance systems and with all intelligent sensors.

More information on: https://www.easyrain.it/

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About Easyrain

EasyRain is an Italian tech company based in Rivoli (To), aimed to improve the safety of any wheeled vehicle, thanks to an intelligent system of fluid jets – A.I.S. Aquaplaning Intelligent Solution – able to counter the phenomenon of aquaplaning, a problem that is not currently faced by any other safety device. EasyRain has widespread patent protection.

More information on: https://www.easyrain.it/

About Italdesign

Italdesign is a company providing, for more than five decades, integrated services of design, engineering and production for the transportation industry, through to final testing and homologation activities, as well as assistance to the Start of Production and the design of complete business models. Italdesign is based in Moncalieri, Torino, Italy and today counts up to 1,000 employees in Italy, Spain and abroad. Since 2017, the company has launched two additional businesses: a dedicated unit to design, develop and produce ultra-limited vehicles for all OEMs worldwide and a business unit opened to the concept of Mobility as a Service and named Mobility Solutions

More information on: www.italdesign.it

About Bosch Mobility Solutions

Mobility Solutions is the largest Bosch Group business sector. It generated sales of 46.8 billion euros in 2019, and thus contributed 60 percent of total sales from operations. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. The Mobility Solutions business sector pursues a vision of mobility that is safe, sustainable, and exciting, and combines the group’s expertise in the domains of personalization, automation, electrification, and connectivity. For its customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. The business sector’s main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated functions, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, repair-shop concepts, and technology and services for the automotive aftermarket. Bosch is synonymous with important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP anti-skid system, and common-rail diesel technology.

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In the picture: Giovanni Blandina, CTO EasyRain – Press release Press release EasyRain .docx – 86 KB


ContactsEasyRain

Filippo Ferrari. – Eidos – Ufficio stampa Easy Rain / Eidos – Press Office Easy Rain