YOKOHAMA's Technology
SensorTire Technology contributes to safe and secure mobility by sensing tire and road surface conditions
Tires
Tires are the only point of contact between the car and the road surface. If we can digitize the condition of tires, which are crucial to the safe operation of automobiles, as well as the conditions of the road surface that they come into contact with, we may be able to realize innovative new services that contribute to safer, more secure, and more comfortable mobility. With that objective in mind, Yokohama Rubber is promoting its SensorTire Technology Vision, a medium- to long-term vision for developing an Internet of Things (IoT) tire with sensing functionality, i.e., a SensorTire.
Gradual expansion of sensing functions
Yokohama Rubber’s SensorTire Technology Vision aims to support tire maintenance for individuals and logistics companies by providing drivers and vehicle fleet operators with tire information, such as air pressure and wear, obtained from sensors attached to tires. In addition, in the future we aim to use our SensorTire Technology to support infrastructure maintenance and management by using SensorTires to acquire information on road surface and traffic conditions that will contribute to the provision of detour routes and safety information, such as the need to attach tire chains. We are gradually broadening the applications of the sensing function by categorizing possible services and target users with reference to indicators of specific sensing functions and their real-time performance. We also are conducting practical testing of air pressure notification services with car-sharing companies and taxi operators.
Newly added wear detection function
Based on our SensorTire Technology Vision, in 2023 we added a wear detection function to our SensorTire. Tire wear is an important indicator of the timing for tire rotation, which helps extend tires’ service life, as well as the time to install new tires. As mobility services shift to self-driving vehicles, the opportunities for drivers and vehicle fleet managers to visually check tire wear will become less frequent.
We have developed a sensor attached to tire’s inner surface that can captures sensing waveforms of a rotating tire’s changing shape in addition to the earlier developed functions for detecting the tire’s air pressure and temperature. This waveform data is then analyzed using the proprietary signal processing technology, which enables the car owner or vehicle fleet manager to determine the tire’s wear condition.
In addition to remote visualization of tires’ conditions, we aim to use our SensorTire Technology to contribute to the safe and sustainable operation of mobility services by linking the analysis of tire data with various probe information, such as map data, traffic congestion, and weather.
