ZF Introduces AI Road Sense: Intelligent Tyres and Chassis Technologies Debut at CES 2026
As the automotive industry accelerates towards software-defined vehicles (SDVs), suppliers are increasingly shifting innovation from mechanical components to intelligent software. At CES 2026, ZF unveiled two new AI-powered chassis technologies designed to improve vehicle safety, ride comfort and driving efficiency by making better use of tyre and chassis data.
The company introduced AI Road Sense, an artificial intelligence platform capable of identifying road conditions in real time, alongside Active Noise Reduction, a software-based technology that significantly reduces tyre-related cabin noise without requiring additional insulation materials. Both developments form part of ZF's Chassis 2.0 strategy, which combines intelligent hardware, advanced software and AI to create adaptive vehicle dynamics.
Tyres become intelligent sensors
Traditionally, suspension systems react only after a vehicle encounters uneven pavement, snow or slippery surfaces. ZF's new AI Road Sense changes this approach by continuously analysing information from multiple vehicle sensors to predict road conditions before they affect driving behaviour.
The system combines data from wheel speed sensors, chassis sensors, cameras and—on premium versions—LiDAR technology to generate a detailed understanding of the road surface. This information is processed by ZF's cubiX vehicle motion control software, which automatically adjusts suspension settings and, in future versions, will also coordinate steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire systems.
According to ZF, the premium configuration is capable of scanning the road up to 25 metres ahead with an accuracy of approximately two centimetres, creating a three-dimensional profile that allows predictive chassis adjustments before the vehicle reaches the obstacle.
Faster reactions than the driver
One of the key advantages of AI Road Sense is its ability to react within milliseconds to changing road conditions.
Rather than relying solely on camera images, the system combines visual information with chassis signals such as wheel slip and torque changes. This enables the software to distinguish between different driving situations—for example deep snow, compacted snow, gravel or mud—and automatically select the most suitable driving strategy.
When slippery conditions are detected, the system can activate functions such as Snow Start, reducing drive torque to minimise wheel spin and improve traction. On unpaved roads, it automatically adapts drivetrain settings, suspension behaviour and differential control without requiring driver intervention.
ZF also integrates driver behaviour analysis into the platform. By evaluating steering, braking and accelerator inputs, AI Road Sense can recognise individual driving styles and optimise vehicle dynamics for greater comfort or sportier handling depending on driver preferences.
Reducing tyre noise through software
Alongside AI Road Sense, ZF introduced Active Noise Reduction, a software solution aimed at reducing one of the most common sources of cabin noise in modern vehicles: tyre cavity resonance.
Instead of adding extra insulation, speakers or microphones, the system uses ZF's Smart Chassis Sensors together with semi-active dampers to detect tyre-induced vibrations. The software then generates precisely controlled counter movements in the dampers, reducing the transmission of noise into the passenger compartment.
ZF states that the current system can reduce interior tyre noise by more than 3 dB, while future developments could achieve reductions of up to 10 dB. Because the solution is entirely software-based, manufacturers can improve acoustic comfort without increasing vehicle weight or requiring additional hardware—an important advantage for electric vehicles, where tyre noise is more noticeable due to the absence of engine sound.
New opportunities for tyre manufacturers
Although the technologies were developed for chassis control, they also highlight the increasingly important role of tyres as data providers.
As vehicle software becomes capable of continuously analysing grip levels, vibration characteristics and road textures, tyre behaviour becomes an essential source of information for automated driving systems and intelligent vehicle control.
This evolution could create new opportunities for tyre manufacturers to optimise tyre designs for digital chassis systems, improve communication between tyres and vehicle electronics, and develop products specifically engineered for software-defined vehicles.
Chassis 2.0: Software becomes the defining factor
ZF describes both technologies as key elements of its Chassis 2.0 architecture, where software increasingly determines vehicle behaviour instead of purely mechanical tuning.
With steer-by-wire, brake-by-wire, predictive suspension control and AI-driven road analysis working together, future vehicles will continuously adapt to changing conditions while delivering improved safety, efficiency and passenger comfort.
The technologies presented at CES 2026 demonstrate how artificial intelligence is expanding beyond driver assistance systems into the chassis itself—transforming tyres and suspension components into intelligent sensors capable of supporting the next generation of connected and software-defined mobility.