New smart tyre senses damage, increases safety

A new type of "smart" tyre developed by a Purdue University professor is able to sense damage when a tyre goes flat or loses treads, making it safer for road travel.

The tyre's technology also can be used to detect impending defects before a tyre is mass produced.

A team led by Gary W. Krutz, director of Purdue's Electrohydraulic Center and a professor of agricultural and biological engineering, has developed a tyre system that senses failures in real time. The concept behind the technology is that the entire tyre acts as a sensor that sends information to onboard computers.

Source: news.uns.purdue.eduAdded: 23 June 2008