Monitoring tyre tread depth.

A new collaboration with between Sensata Technologies with NIRA Dynamics AB delivers an accurate and robust tyre Tread Depth Monitoring (TDM) ‘virtual sensor’ system for automotive OEMs that optimizes tyre health and improves vehicle safety, efficiency and uptime. The TDM solution, powered by NIRA Dynamics’ tread wear estimation software, is designed to give vehicle OEMs, drivers and fleets timely alerts when tyres have worn to unsafe levels and need servicing.

“We’re excited to collaborate with NIRA Dynamics on new technology for the automotive industry." said Eric Sorret, VP Automotive at Sensata. "Sensata has developed tire technologies for more than 20 years, and we believe that this new virtual sensor builds on this experience and takes it to the next level. Using and analyzing data already being captured by other sensors, this solution provides accurate and useful information to our customers.”

Combining Sensata Technologies’ expertise in automotive sensors with NIRA Dynamics’ proficiency in developing embedded software and cloud services, the TDM solution adds new safety and maintenance capabilities to Sensata’s existing market-leading tyre safety products.

The virtual sensor system is a new, innovative technology that gathers and combines data from multiple existing sensors on a vehicle, including Sensata’s tyre pressure sensors, to provide accurate information about tyre wear and tear.

This software-based system uses a complex algorithm that monitors the tyre tread’s decreasing depth, while compensating for a wide range of real-world environmental challenges. The system tracks tyres through changes and rotations and provides a more comprehensive solution than just measuring the distance travelled.

The virtual TDM can be integrated into existing Electronic Control Units (ECU) and is designed to work with many combinations of tyre and vehicle designs. Vehicle manufacturers can quickly introduce and implement the solution across vehicle platforms without the need for custom software development.

Lisa Åbom, CEO at NIRA Dynamics said, “The cooperation between NIRA and Sensata is a perfect match. By combining our decades of experience in vehicle data cloud services with Sensata’s Tire Pressure Monitoring System, infrastructure, and extensive customer base, we can offer vehicle manufacturers additional insights and information for customers without the need to fit additional hardware on the vehicle. This solution will improve safety, creating more driver awareness about the quality of their tires to decrease the number of tire-related accidents.”

@Sensata @niradynamics #Automotive