Bridgestone Develops New Sensor Technology For Autonomous Vehicles

Equipping tyres with Smart Strain Sensors allows vehicle managers to remotely monitor information such as tyre air pressure, along with metrics pertaining to load and wear in real-time

Bridgestone Corporation has developed a technology capable of estimating a wheel axle load and tyre wear condition by using newly developed sensors attached inside tyres. It measures the change in strain that occurs when a tyre contacts the road while in motion. This technology is unique and first of its kind in the world, claims Bridgestone.

The technology incorporates Internet of things (IoT) technologies. Apart from tracking tyre inflation pressure and temperature, the Smart Strain Sensor also measures the dynamic change in strain that occurs when a tyre is in use. Bridgestone tyre uses a proprietary algorithm to convert data gathered by the sensor into tyre load and wear information, which is then collected and sent to cloud.

Bridgestone's previously released sensing technology performs measurements based on accelerometer sensors, which require a certain amount of speed to acquire data. The new Smart Strain Sensor technology, however, measures strain, which is independent of speed. As such, the new technology is able to acquire highly reliable data even at low speeds. This is an important differentiator, as autonomous vehicles are expected to be operated at low speeds for enhanced safety.

Figure-2 depicts the strain that occurs where the tyre makes contact with the road. This waveform-data changes according to the load carried by the tyre and the degree of wear. This technology is capable of recognizing and tracking a wide range of tyre information in real-time, helping to identify conditions such as tyre tread wear.

Equipping tyres with Smart Strain Sensors allows vehicle managers to remotely monitor information such as tyre air pressure, along with metrics pertaining to load and wear in real-time.

Source: Bridgestone