What it does
The tire harnesses piezoelectric materials to supply autonomous vehicles with real-time data on grip, slip, and wear, while harvesting deformation energy to power sensors, solving unreliable tire-road feedback and battery drain in self-driving systems.
Your inspiration
The inspiration for the smart tire emerged from the critical, yet often overlooked, role of tire management in autonomous vehicles, where conventional battery-dependent monitoring systems frequently fail to offer continuous, high-resolution insights into dynamic parameters such as grip, slip, and wear, thereby increasing safety risks amid varying road conditions. This motivated the pursuit of self-sustained sensor solutions, rooted in academic research on piezoelectric energy harvesting from tire deformation to power embedded sensors and enhance vehicle autonomy.
How it works
The smart tire incorporates flexible strips of piezoelectric polymers embedded at even intervals along the tire's inner surface. As the tire rolls and flexes under the vehicle's weight and road contact, these strips produce electrical signals from the pressure and movement. Wires connect the strips to a central circuit board in the tire hub, which captures the signals to identify their origin (indicating specific tire sections under stress) and converts the electricity to power onboard sensors, small processors, and wireless transmitters. This self-generated energy eliminates the need for separate batteries. The board sends the raw signal data wirelessly to the vehicle's main computer, where AI algorithms analyse patterns in the signals to determine tire conditions, such as wear from uneven deformation or slip from sudden changes in grip. This provides continuous feedback for safer autonomous driving without external power sources.
Design process
The design process for the smart tire began with exploring ways to create a self-powered system for autonomous vehicles, drawing from academic insights into piezoelectric applications for energy harvesting in tires. I started by building a proof-of-concept prototype centred on energy capture, assembling an array of piezoelectric elements linked to a custom circuit board with rectifiers and capacitors. This setup successfully converted simulated mechanical deformation into usable electricity, proving the foundation for a tire that could sustain its own sensors without external power. Building on that, I turned to material selection, researching and testing sustainable piezoelectric polymers like PVDF and BTO composites to ensure they could handle the intense pressures and hundreds of thousands of cycles typical in tire use, with minimal wear as confirmed through lab compression trials. At the same time, I iterated on the circuitry to boost efficiency in signal processing and data transmission. While simulations have helped refine these designs, progress has been slowed by the high costs of fabrication equipment and materials, leading me to focus on scalable, cost-effective alternatives like 3D-printed components for future prototypes.
How it is different
The smart tire stands out by integrating piezoelectric polymers not only for real-time sensing of critical parameters like grip, slip, and wear to support autonomous driving decisions, but also for simultaneous energy harvesting to self-power vehicle sensors, unlike Pirelli's Cyber Tyre, which relies on battery-powered accelerometers for data without harvesting. In contrast to Continental's ContiSense, which uses conductive rubber for road condition detection but lacks energy generation, or Goodyear's BH03 concept that focuses on thermoelectric and piezoelectric harvesting for battery charging without AV-specific data integration, the tire's dual-function design enables a self-sustained ecosystem, reducing battery dependency and enhancing AV reliability through embedded AI-processed feedback, a combination absent in current market offerings.
Future plans
First, I'll introduce this technology to motorsport, leveraging the industry's emphasis on safety and precise data collection. Since my design easily retrofits existing tires without affecting current contracts, teams can adopt it immediately. Motorsport success will demonstrate reliability and performance, enabling strategic partnerships with automotive manufacturers for large-scale integration. Ultimately, I'll launch my own tire brand featuring advanced smart technology and prioritizing sustainability with recyclable, eco-friendly materials that significantly reduce environmental impact.
Awards
Reached second round of a highly competitive grant - GradCapital (Awaiting response)
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