Sumitomo technology generates power from tires

Tokyo – Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI), in collaboration with Professor Hiroshi Tani of Kansai University, has developed a new technology to generate electric power from the rotation of a tire.

The process involves installing a power generating device (energy harvester) inside a tire to convert static electricity occurring within a tire into clean energy, said the Japanese tire & rubber company in a 23 July statement.

“We believe that this technology holds great potential for practical applications as a power source for various automotive digital tools,” said the SRI statement.

The project is part of SRI’s "smart tire concept", which aims to respond to the changes occurring throughout the automotive industry.

The concept addresses various parameters including safety, environmental performance and digitalisation.

SRI expects the new technology to be used as a power source for sensors in tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) and other automotive devices.

The company said it would continue working on the research with support from the Japanese Science and Technology Agency.