Yokohama tests AI to gauge air pressure by sound
Hiratsuka, Japan—The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd., has begun practical testing of a technology that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to gauge air pressure from the sound made by tapping truck and bus tires. Using AI to gauge tire air pressure from the sound made by tapping the tire, which previously relied on the driver’s experience, will provide logistics companies with solutions to various issues, including safe vehicle operation via improved air-pressure measurement, cost reductions and greater operational efficiency through labor-saving, and raising fuel efficiency by appropriately managing tire air pressure.
Daily check of the air pressure of truck and bus tires with pressure gauges can cause valve failure and air leakage. In addition, real-time monitoring can be costly. As a result, tapping the tire with a hammer remains the main method for checking air pressure. However, determining whether a tire has appropriate air pressure by simply tapping the tire with a hammer can be difficult even for the most-experienced drivers. An easier and more accurate method for checking tire air pressure is needed.
Responding to this need, Yokohama Rubber is working with METRIKA, Inc., to develop an AI algorithm that can distinguish the sounds created by tapping the tire from a variety of environmental sounds, determine when and how long the sound occurred (the sound interval), and estimate the tire’s air pressure based on the detected sound. In addition, Yokohama Rubber and METRIKA have developed a prototype of specialized application and are currently conducting practical testing at a transportation-related company. Using this technology, drivers will be able to visually grasp the tire’s air pressure and any need for adding pressure by recording on a smartphone app the sound made when tapping the tire. This technology will make it possible for anyone to perform a highly precise air-pressure check without the need for a special device or any special skill.
Yokohama Rubber will use the practical testing to further improve the accuracy of the AI algorithm and the usability of the application. In addition, Yokohama Rubber plans to incorporate this new technology into its proprietary next-generation Tire Management System (TMS), which uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to propose appropriate products and operational plans for transportation-related companies.
As part of its effort to strengthen its truck and bus tire business, Yokohama Rubber is accelerating the development of technologies and products that respond to the global shift to electric vehicles (EVs) and the expanding introduction of autonomous vehicles. In addition, the Company will continue to establish new tire solution services that contribute to the realization of sustainable logistics.