Sensata sensor provides OEMs with extra safety & performance data

Enhanced safety, performance, and data insights are benefits that Sensata Technologies says vehicle and tyre OEMs can expect from its newest tyre mounted sensor. The company describes this Sensata Tire Mounted Sensor as the “next step in the evolution of tyre sensing.” Leveraging the tyre as the single point of contact between vehicle and road, Sensata promises that the sensor will “deliver new insights, beyond just pressure and temperature.”

Sensata’s Tire Mounted Sensor includes TPMS functionality as well as an accelerometer to detect the force with which the tyre strikes the ground. Mounted directly upon the tyre’s inner liner, the Tire Mounted Sensor identifies the brand and model of the tyre and provides data continuity for the specific tyre throughout its life cycle.

According to Sensate, the sensors provide drivers & tyre/vehicle OEMs the following benefits:

Improved safety, tyre life, fuel efficiency and driving range calculations: When the data from the sensors is paired with a load calculation algorithm, vertical load can be estimated on each tire while the vehicle is in motion. The system will notify the driver if the vehicle is overloaded or imbalanced. A vehicle that is overloaded by just ten per cent reduces tyre life by 16 per cent and fuel efficiency by ten per cent. Awareness of vehicle load increases safety, extends tyre life, and improves driving range estimations. In addition, the real-time feedback Tire Mounted Sensors provided to a battery management system (BMS) allows for more accurate EV range calculations.

Better vehicle handling: Tyre information programmed into the sensor can enable the vehicle to adjust performance and handling to match the installed tyre.

More accurate ADAS performance: Detecting road surface conditions, such as changes from pavement to gravel, can inform the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to adapt and make more timely and accurate braking distance adjustments, for example.

Simplified tyre warranty tracking: Tyre and vehicle OEMs can more easily conduct tire warranty tracking and notifications as a vehicle with Tire Mounted Sensors can automatically recognise the tyre information from the sensors.

Launching with tyre major

Sensata’s first Tire Mounted Sensor will launch in 2023 for a fleet retrofit with a major tyre manufacturer. The company is also discussing further opportunities with additional vehicle and tyre OEMs.

“This opportunity to provide Sensata’s next generation of tyre management solutions to a leading tyre maker demonstrates the added value our Tire Mounted Sensors offer, and we believe they can benefit many others, including fleet owners, vehicle OEMs, and end consumers,” says Eric Sorret, vice-president of Automotive at Sensata Technologies.