SWINDON, England — Sensata Technologies Inc. has developed a tire-mounted sensor that it claims will improve safety, tire life, fuel efficiency and vehicle handling for drivers while simplifying remote updates and warranty tracking for vehicle makers.
Mounted directly to the tire's inner liner, the Bluetooth-enabled sensor provides tire-pressure monitoring functionality while being capable of detecting the force with which the tire is striking the ground, Sensata said.
Set for launch in 2023 in partners with a global tire maker that Sensata declined to identify, the sensor also can identify the brand and model of the tire and provides data continuity for the specific tire throughout its life cycle.
"When the data from the sensors is paired with a load-calculation algorithm, vertical load can be estimated on each tire while the vehicle is in motion," it explained.
The system will then notify the driver if the vehicle is overloaded or imbalanced.
"This opportunity to provide Sensata's next generation of tire management solutions ... demonstrates the added value our tire-mounted sensors offer, and we believe they can benefit many others, including fleet owners, vehicle OEMs, and end consumers," Eric Sorret, vice president of automotive, said.
According to Sensata, a vehicle that is overloaded by 10% can reduce tire life by 16% and fuel efficiency by 10%. The data provided by the sensor can therefore extend safety and tire life.
On electric vehicles, the sensors provide real-time feedback to a battery management system (BMS), allowing for more accurate EV-range calculations.
Sensata also claims using the sensor can improve vehicle handling by enabling the vehicle to adjust performance and handling to match the installed tire and enhance the performance of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) by detecting and transmitting road-surface conditions, such as changes from pavement to gravel, allowing the ADAS to adapt and make more timely and accurate braking distance adjustments, for example.
The sensors are Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) rated, which enables over-air updates to add additional features and capabilities after a vehicle is already in the field
Furthermore, it can simplify warranty tracking for tire and vehicle OEMs as it recognizes tire brands, Sensata said.
The company is also discussing more opportunities with additional vehicle and tire OEMs.
