A new tire-mounted sensor has been developed by Sensata Technologies to provide higher levels of safety, performance and extra data insights to customers and vehicle and tire OEMs.
Unlike conventional systems, which normally only measure pressure and temperature, the latest solution from Sensata benefits from an accelerometer to detect the forces to which a tire is subjected on any given driving surface.
Instead of being mounted to a tire’s valve stem, the tire-mounted sensor is fitted directly to the tire’s innerliner. It can identify the brand and model of the tire and deliver data specific to the tire throughout its entire service life.
Other benefits of the company’s sensor include the ability to pair it with a load calculation algorithm. This enables the vertical load on each tire to be estimated even when the vehicle is moving and will notify the driver if the vehicle is imbalanced or overloaded. These notifications will ensure that the driver is aware of the vehicle’s load, increasing safety and improving tire life because even a 10% overload can reduce tire life by 16%. Furthermore, accurate electric vehicle range calculations can be provided via real-time feedback from the tire-mounted sensors to a battery management system.
Tire information can be programmed into the sensor, enabling a vehicle to adjust its performance and handling characteristics to suit the installed tire. Improvements to the accuracy of advanced driver assistance systems can also be made, with the sensor detecting changes in road surface and terrain. This can enable ADAS to adjust braking distances and other parameters.
The first tire-mounted sensor from Sensata is scheduled to launch in 2023 in a fleet retrofit for a major tire manufacturer. The company is currently discussing additional opportunities with other vehicle and tire OEMs.
“This opportunity to provide Sensata’s next generation of tire management solutions to a leading tire maker demonstrates the added value our tire-mounted sensors offer. We believe they can benefit many others, including fleet owners, vehicle OEMs and end consumers,” explained Eric Sorret, vice president of automotive at Sensata Technologies.
