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Realising ‘IoT Tyres’ means installing various sensors inside of a tyre in order to collect and transmit information from the tyres to the vehicle, where this information can then be used in various applications. As these sensors require batteries or other sources of energy to operate, we believe that it makes perfect sense to power these devices using the energy produced naturally by the rotation of a tyre: Kazuhisa Fushihara, Manager, Planning & Administration Dept.,  Research & Development HQ, Sumitomo Rubber Industries

Cutting edge technology researches are on overdrive to enhance the performance of a tyre that can fit into the future definition of mobility, which revolves around sustainability. Tyre as a totally autonomous entity even while being the most vital element in a vehicle is among the ultimate goals of designers and technologists – tyres that can operate on its own, depending less on the mother vehicle, ensuring safety to the user and adding high level of value to strengthen the vehicle’s performance.

Surface friction and rolling resistance have always been the focus of tyre makers. A high amount of heat and energy are being generated during a tyre’s roll on the surface. Making use of this to sustain its function has been a major aim of technologists. Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ (SRI) “Energy Harvester” answers to this effort in a big way.       

In mid 2019, Sumitomo, through joint research undertaken with Professor Hiroshi Tani of Kansai University, developed this new technology to generate electric power from the rotation of a tyre. This is accomplished by installing a power generating device (Energy Harvester) inside of a tyre to convert static electricity occurring within a tyre into clean energy. This new device takes advantage of a type of static electricity called “frictional charging” to generate electric power efficiently each time a tyre's footprint deforms as a tyre rotates. Sumitomo, the     parent company of Falken Tyres, believes that this technology holds great potential for practical applications as a power source without needing batteries for various automotive digital tools, including in TPMS (Tyre Pressure Monitoring System) and other automotive devices.

The research was selected by the Japan Science and Technology Agency, national research and development agency, as a Type FS Seed Project under A-STEP (Adaptable and Seamless Technology Transfer Program through Target-Driven R&D). Sumitomo Rubber Industries will now advance this research with support from the Japan Science and Technology Agency.

 Sumitomo has been engaged in a wide range of joint research studies with various universities, including Kansai University and Gunma University Center of Research among others, on sustainability projects.

Regarding the project on “The Development of Intelligent Tyres Using Friction-Charged Sensors,” Kazuhisa Fushihara, Manager, Planning & Administration Dept.,

Research & Development HQ, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, told Tyre Trends: “We are afraid that we are unable to comment on the scope of this joint research project, or other areas of joint research with Kansai University, due to the existence of a non-disclosure agreement. However, we can say that, with backing from the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), we are actively engaged in research and development that envisions future tyres that fully incorporate IoT technology.

‘In-house’ energy source

On Energy Harvester Technology, Fushihara said that “Kansai University carried out the basic research and development for the underlying technology before engaging in joint research and development with our company toward realising applications for this technology in tyres.

Developing energy sources within tyres/vehicles goes a long way in ensuring sustainability in product manufacturing. The degree of energy saved is directly proportional to the reduction of energy used from external sources, including fossil-based sources.  

Fushihara said: Realising “IoT Tyres” means installing various sensors inside of a tyre in order to collect and transmit information from the tyres to the vehicle, where this information can then be used in various applications. As these sensors require batteries or other sources of energy to operate, we believe that it makes perfect sense to power these devices using the energy produced naturally by the rotation of a tyre.”

Maintaining right pressure in tyre plays a major role in its performance. “We believe that tyre pressure monitoring systems are an enormously beneficial technology, which is why the EU, China and many other countries around the world have followed the lead of the United States in making TPMS a regulatory requirement. Maintaining appropriate tyre pressure is extremely important in terms of both safety and the environment and, with an eye toward the future of automated vehicles, we believe that it is safe to say that TPMS will only become more and more important in the coming years,” Fushihara observed.

He added: “In the future, we hope to add even more value to these kinds of systems by augmenting their functionality so that they are able to detect not only tyre pressure, but also conditions at the point of contact between tyre and road as well as tyre load and other operational factors.”

Sensing Core

“The Sensing Core Technology that we are currently developing is yet another example of the Sumitomo Rubber Group’s efforts to enhance the value of TPMS so that we may provide greater safety and peace of mind to the increasingly automated mobility society of the future.”

The Sensing Core, a new tyre sensing technology, can detect road conditions, tyre load and other information by analysing the wheel speed signals that are generated by the rotation of the tyres.

SRI has already perfected its proprietary DWS (Deflation Warning System) technology, which analyses wheel speed signals from the rotation of tyres to detect and notify the driver of decreases in tyre air pressure. The DWS technology has been adopted by many automobile manufacturers and can now be found as a factory standard feature in countless vehicles throughout the world, the company website said (information and image courtesy: srigroup.co.jp).

Based on the technical knowhow that SRI cultivated in the development of DWS, the Sensing Core is the next evolution in DWS technology, an advancement that eliminates the need for an additional, dedicated sensors by instead utilising cutting-edge software to detect tyre pressure directly from existing wheel speed signals, thereby reducing the cost of installation and eliminating the need for maintenance.

As the only part of a vehicle that comes into direct contact with the road, tyres must support a vehicle’s entire weight. The Sensing Core technology uses a proprietary algorithm to detect various types of information based on what we know about each specific tyre so that this information can be shared with the driver and with the vehicle itself. This advanced algorithm incorporates and takes full advantage of SRI’s extensive knowledge of various tyre properties, which the company gained through over 100 years of experience in tyre development.

ENDS

Hankook Tire revealed the Design Innovation 2020 project, which defines a vision for the future driving and innovation in mobility.

Launched in 2012, the Design Innovation is Hankook’s R&D project held every two years, in collaboration with one of the world’s leading design universities.

Under the theme ‘Urban Reshaping’, professors and students from the Department of Industrial Design at the University of Cincinnati in the U.S. focused on the transformation of cities geared by reconfiguring mobility as part of living spaces rather than stand-alone purpose in the future with augmented automation infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies such as eco-friendly technology, autonomous driving and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Throughout the project, modular platform of mobility concept named ‘Hankook Platform System (HPS)-Cell’ was proposed with tyre representing the root of mobility. It is applied with ‘Hankook Electric Mobility Technology (H.E.M.)’ which represents Hankook’s passion for future technological breakthroughs. Then a scenario was created which distinguishes mobility as a moving platform and its function as a pod (space), clearly elaborating that tire indeed sits at the center of the mobility.

The tyre of HPS-Cell embodied an airless tyres’ double-layered unit-cell structure to acquire complex rigidity. It is a concept tyre that uses sensor technology to not only identify tire treads and road conditions in real time, but also to respond to wear-out risks and change tread patterns according to the road condition utilizing variable wheels and optimized infrastructure.

The scenario was brought into reality in a concept film and a mock-up. The productions suggest that in 2040 urban population will be able to use this mobility platform combined with pods of various forms to each meet a specific purpose. The modular platform can also be combined with commercial pods such as urban farming to maximize the scalability and efficiency of movement within smart cities of future generation.

The unveiled productions will be exhibited at various global channels and will represent Hankook’s capabilities in design innovation globally.

Jimmy Kwon, Vice President of Hankook Tire Brand Lab said, “Hankook Tire is incorporating new ideas with our cutting-edge technology to explore design concepts for the next generation, as Hankook believes creativity is the first step towards bringing the imagination into the reality. We are more than excited to present this year’s works as they speak for the essence of the future mobility that Hankook envisions.”

TATNEFT has announced the development of a new line of ATV tyres called the KAMA Quadro ATM. The first model has been made in 25x8-12 standard size at its Nizhnekamskshina factory in Russia.

The ATV tyre, which is developed by Kama Scientific and Technical Center, has been specially designed for off-road driving, providing excellent cross-country ability in mud and snow. The tyre’s special rubber composition ensures high reliability and traction performance.

The first batch of tyres will go for pilot testing to TATNEFT subdivisions that operate off-road special vehicles.

The KAMA Quadro ATM range is currently being developed in nine tyre sizes covering 12 to 14 inches diameter, with nine more sizes coming up over the next year. The factory will begin production of 25x10 tyres for the rear axle in addition to the already manufactured  25x8 tyres intended for the front axle.

The KAMA Quadro ATM will meet the needs of the TATNEFT Group’s all-terrain vehicles used in oil fields and will also be used to equip Russian ATV manufacturers and the secondary market. (TT)

Kumho tyres have outperformed 52 rival manufacturers to ace the Auto Bild magazine’s summer tyre test with its ECSTA HS51 high-performance pattern tyre.

The annual test is among the most comprehensive of its type, the results of which are regarded as highly significant by both the European tyre trade and its consumers.

Conducted on both wet and dry surfaces, it left Kumho in a fighting third place overall. However, while the further qualifications caused the two leaders to slide down the order, 33 of the 53 entries were eliminated by the initial braking test. Kumho’s highly competitive and consistent scores in almost every discipline ultimately left it as the sole test winner.

 Awarding the ECSTA HS51 their coveted ‘Exemplary’ badge, the Auto Bild testers commended it for its precise steering response, secure wet grip, well-balanced handling, short braking distance, low wear rate and affordable price.

Unlike some tyre tests, where the products are supplied by the manufacturers, those for the Auto Bild ones are covertly purchased by the magazine from regular retail outlets. The chosen size was 205/55R16, the direct fitment for the bulk of Volkswagen Golfs and Audi A3s etc., and therefore arguably the one most common within the European car market.

UK purchasers currently have the choice of 35 sizes of ECSTA HS51 for wheels of 15 to 18 inches in diameter. The qualification round of the test was carried out at ATP (Automotive Testing Papenburg) in Germany and the other tests were performed at the IDIADA facility in Spain. 

Thus, our newly developed "Tire Leap AI Analysis" utilises advanced AI-based analysis technology to analyse (for example) electron microscope imagery of tyre rubber compounds in order to achieve high-precision analysis that far exceeds human capabilities, thereby making it possible to derive accurate estimates of rubber properties from structural data found in this imagery.

Specifically, it is a technology that estimates rubber properties precise from combining data on the individual raw materials contained in a rubber compound with data on its internal structure. In the future, we will continue to develop this technology and develop technology to estimate the future rubber properties from electron microscope imagery of unused rubber.

■ Technology to Precisely Estimate Rubber Properties Based on Structures & Materials

Tire Leap AI Analysis utilises an AI-based image analysis system to analyse the internal structures of rubber in images captured by an electron microscope in order to infer information about the properties of the rubber based on its structural data (i.e. the results of image analysis). By combining this structural data with data about the materials that make up rubber compounds, this technology is then able to derive information about the physical properties of rubber with a high degree of precision.

■ Technology to Detect Changes in the Internal Structures of Rubber After Use & Estimate Resulting Changes in Rubber Properties

By comparing images of a tyre that has never been used (i.e. that is brand new) with images of a tyre that has been used (i.e. after wear over time), this AI-based image analysis system can determine where changes have occurred in the internal structures of the tyre’s rubber and then estimate the physical properties of the rubber in the areas that have undergone these changes. The practical application of this technology will facilitate the design of new rubber compounds that are less prone to performance degradation due to wear and tear, thus contributing to the development and advancement of Performance Sustaining Technology.

Dr. Miki Haseyama, Hokkaido University: We have developed a new AI technology that is able to estimate the extent of changes in the structures based on analysis of images of the internal structures of rubber. As compiling data for this kind of machine learning would otherwise be extremely time-consuming, one of the main merits of this new technology is the fact that this AI does not require prior field data from structural changes in rubber for machine learning. Rather, this AI uses deep learning to learn about the properties of new rubber (i.e. prior to undergoing structural changes) and then estimates the extent of changes in the structure by analysing how data from old rubber (i.e. after undergoing structural changes) compares to the data that it has previously learned about new data. This approach to machine learning allows the AI to automatically detect various types of changes in the structures of rubber.

Kiyoshige Muraoka, Senior Executive Officer, Sumitomo Rubber Industries: We have been working jointly with Hokkaido University to further advance the development of AI technology that can understand how the internal structures of tyre rubber change through use. We have already put this new technology to use in the development of our latest “ENASAVE NEXT III” fuel-efficient tyres, which not only achieve the highest possible “AAA-a” rating for fuel efficiency and wet grip performance (under Japan’s tyre labelling system), but also reduce changes in tyre performance that occur over time as a result of use by half. Moving forward, we will continue to advance our Tire Leap AI Analysis technology to find and analyse slight variations in the internal structures of rubber that human senses and knowhow have been unable to detect so that we can then use the resulting knowledge to develop new technologies that further enhance tyre performance and ensure that this high performance lasts longer. In this way, we will accelerate research and development toward producing high-performance tyres that provide greater safety and peace of mind with the aim of contributing to the realisation of a sustainable mobility society for future generations.

References:

Ren Togo, Naoki Saito, Takahiro Ogawa, Miki Haseyama, “Estimating regions of deterioration in electron microscope images of rubber materials via a transfer learning-based anomaly detection model,” IEEE Access, vol. 7, pp. 162395-162404, 2019.