It’s called Ais and it’s a safety system developed by Turin-based Easyrain to counteract the phenomena of aquaplaning and guarantee the safety of vehicles and passengers. The former start-up, now an innovative SME, has patented and developed the automotive prototype, in partnership with Bosch and Italdesign, to prevent a phenomenon on the road causing tens of thousands of accidents.
Technically, the Easyrain Ais – Aquaplaning Intelligent Solution – thanks to a controlled water jet injected in front of the front wheels, is able to re-establish the grip of the tire on the asphalt and control the vehicle. The AIS is characterized by a hydraulic system consisting of a pump and two rotating injectors and is activated thanks to Easyrain DAI, Digital Aquaplaning Information, proprietary software: the DAI virtual sensor recognizes the risk of aquaplaning and instantly informs the system that in this way active.
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“The principle that underlies the operation of AIS is actually simple – explains Giovanni Blandina, founder and CEO of Easyrain – because the phenomenon is caused by the excessive presence of water on the road, in front of the tire, and it is precisely a jet of water. water to remove excess liquid ». The system then draws water from the wiper reservoir and instantly injects it in front of the wheels to move the water onto the asphalt before the tires pass through. To complete the technological solution, there is the water recovery system that never leaves the vehicle without stocks. «A virtual sensor is able, through the reading of the parameters present in the car, to recognize when the car is in aquaplaning and on which tire the risk occurs, without the aid of physical sensors» adds Blandina.
The technology is proprietary, including patents and software, and was developed with two industrial partners such as Bosch and Italdesign. “In 2017 we arrived at a prototype, the following year – says the CEO – we had a capital increase of 5 million and this allowed us to accelerate, opening the Research and Development unit in Rivoli and starting industrialization. . Over the course of a year we tested the automotive prototype on the track and we are working on the next system which will weigh no more than 10 kilos, up to a further halving of the weight ».
From a financial point of view, Easyrain expects to bring home a further capital increase within the first half of the year. The market response is interesting and therefore the company is trying to accelerate by betting on the support of venture capital. Today six people and seven stable external collaborators work in Rivoli but by the end of 2021 it will rise to at least 15 internal resources.