HIRATSUKA, Japan — For decades, safety experts have been trying to dissuade truck drivers from using the "thump method" to determine whether a tire is properly inflated, but thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the thump method may be back on the table.
Working with blockchain risk management firm Metrika Inc., Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. (YRC) has developed an AI algorithm that the firms claim can distinguish the sounds created by tapping the tire from a variety of environmental sounds, potentially allowing drivers or service techs to determine a tire's air pressure by recording — via a smartphone app — the sound made when tapping the tire.
YRC said recently it has begun practical testing of this technology, which could make it possible for anyone to perform a highly precise air-pressure check without the need for a special device or any special skill.
Using AI to gauge tire air pressure from the sound made by tapping the tire could provide logistics companies with solutions to various issues, YRC said, including safe vehicle operation via improved air-pressure measurement, cost reductions and greater operational efficiency through labor-saving, and raising fuel efficiency by appropriately managing tire air pressure.
Yokohama said it intends to use the practical testing to improve the accuracy of the AI algorithm and the usability of the application. It also plans to incorporate this new technology into its proprietary next-generation Tire Management System (TMS), which uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to propose appropriate products and operational plans for transportation-related companies.
Checking the air pressure of truck and bus tires with pressure gauges daily can cause valve failure and air leakage, YRC said, and real-time monitoring can be costly.
As a result, thumping the tire with a hammer remains the main method for many truckers and/or trucking companies for checking air pressure. Determining whether a tire has appropriate air pressure by thumping the tire is an imprecise method even for the most-experienced drivers.
In the early 2000s, the Tire Retread and Repair Information Bureau carried out a "Pump 'em, Don't thump 'em" campaign to encourage drivers and trucking companies to monitor tire pressures with a gauge.
YRC said this research is part of its effort to strengthen its truck/bus tire business, to accelerate the development of technologies and products that respond to the global shift to electric vehicles (EVs) and the expanding introduction of autonomous vehicles.
Cambridge, Mass.-based Metrika describes itself as a leader in blockchain risk management, enabling proactive risk assessment and compliance across digital asset services.