SRI Develops Technology to Estimate Tire Wear

April 5, 2022

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. (SRI) says it has developed a new technology that will help estimate tire wear.

The technology involves a device that "harnesses the rotation of a tire to generate electricity, which then can be used to provide power for peripheral sensors installed in and around the tires without relying on batteries," according to SRI officials.

This "makes it possible to calculate tire footprint length and rotation cycle, in addition to device voltage levels. The results of these calculations can then be extrapolated to estimate tire wear levels."

SRI officials add that the company also has developed a technology that helps measure tire footprint. It involves installing "multiple, miniaturized energy harvesters within each tire in order to obtain data on the contact footprint in the direction of width."