German car maker Porsche is strengthening its collaboration with Israeli technology company Tactile Mobility, a specialist in tactile data.
In addition to Porsche, Union Tech Ventures and existing investors are participating in the current investment round. Tactile Mobility plans to use the funds primarily to strengthen its development and sales activities and to promote collaboration with other automotive manufacturers and mobility service providers, as well as municipalities and road authorities in the USA, Europe and Asia.
Tactile data simulates a sense of touch. In this process, an algorithm processes data that is provided by different physical sensors that are already available.
“Tactile Mobility’s method helps us collect additional information about the condition of vehicles and roads that goes beyond the information that can be obtained with conventional sensor systems,” explained Michael Steiner, member of the Executive Board for Research and Development at Porsche.
An integration into series production cars is planned for the beginning of the next decade.
In the next development stage, Tactile Mobility’s software can provide data on the vehicle’s condition itself, for example engine and brake efficiency, as well as fuel consumption. Based on this information, the software is able to determine road conditions and quickly identify a change in road surface conditions in order to prepare additional vehicles in the fleet network for such changes, for instance in the event of a slippery road surface.
“We are very excited about the confidence that Porsche has in tactile data and virtual sensor systems,” said Amit Nisenbaum, CEO of Tactile Mobility. “This investment will cement our leadership in this growing segment. By equipping intelligent vehicles with the sense of ‘touch’ and the ability to analyze tactile data, we can contribute to further improve the driving experience and make it even safer.”