Tyre sensor development – Yokohama Rubber working with Alps Alpine

Yokohama Rubber has teamed up with Alps Alpine to conduct research and development into CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services and Electric) compliant sensors for passenger car tyres. The tyre maker chose to partner with the Japanese electronics specialist as, in addition to experience in sensor development, Alps Alpine possesses system design and software development capabilities that Yokohama anticipates will deliver synergies to its new tyre business model.

Specifically, Yokohama Rubber aims to develop a solutions business that uses digital tools to process and manage data about tyre wear and road surface conditions. The R&D into CASE-compliant technologies it is now conducting builds upon its prior work with TPMS.

“We believe it is also important to develop systems and applications that provide data obtained from tyres to drivers and certain other parties. Such systems and apps are widely expected to add value to new tyre business,” shares Yokohama Rubber.

The new partnership with Alps Alpine is the latest step in two decades of research into tyre monitoring systems. In 2004, Yokohama Rubber became the first tyre maker in Japan to develop a TPMS for passenger cars. Sales of the system, dubbed “AIR watch”, began on a limited basis in 2005. The company’s solution for the commercial vehicle sector is called HiTES. Yokohama began selling HiTES to fleet operators in 2003.