Socar is advancing the development of technology to detect early signs of vehicle tire abnormalities using artificial intelligence (AI).
Socar announced on the 20th that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Autopedia, a vehicle inspection AI solution company, to jointly develop ‘AI tire analysis technology.’
Since July of last year, Socar has managed tire wear conditions using Autopedia’s AI solution ‘Doctor Tread.’ As a result, from January to April of this year, the rate of tire-related vehicle malfunctions and the number of customer complaints decreased by 22% and 20%, respectively, compared to the same period last year.
This agreement was pursued to further enhance the scope and precision of AI analysis based on these operational achievements. The next-generation model aims to precisely detect not only existing wear levels but also tire uneven wear, punctures caused by foreign objects such as nails and cuts, and chipping (rubber tearing) phenomena.
In particular, the plan is to establish a system that proactively addresses maintenance before failures occur by using AI to detect subtle abnormalities that were difficult to identify through visual inspections or single-indicator analysis.
Socar and Autopedia will jointly participate in all stages of development, including model design, data labeling, and performance verification. Socar will input actual tire image data accumulated through car-sharing operations and inspection criteria from maintenance sites, while Autopedia will enhance the precision analysis model by integrating its AI technology.
Moon Jeongwoong, head of Socar’s Car-Sharing Customer Experience Division, said, “Tire management is directly linked to customer safety, so precise regular inspections and preemptive measures are paramount. Through technological collaboration with Autopedia, we will detect potential failure factors that are difficult to identify visually and ensure thorough safety management so customers can always use Socar with confidence.”
Originally written by: Lee Ho-jun
Source: The Chosun Daily
Published on: 20 May 2026
Link to original article: Socar Advances AI Tire Analysis with Autopedia
