Sumitomo Unveils Tire-Powered Tire Wear Detection Technology

Sumitomo develops power-generating device from tire rotation which can then power peripheral tire sensors.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has been working with Professor Hiroshi Tani of Kansai University, Japan, on the joint development of an innovative power generating device – or ‘energy harvester’ – which harnesses the rotation of a tire to generate electricity, which can then be used to provide power for peripheral sensors installed in and around the tire, eliminating the need to rely on batteries. The tire maker has now succeeded in developing techniques for measuring tire wear status and contact footprint utilizing these energy harvesters.

Source: TTi