Yokohama begins practical testing of remote tire monitoring technology

Tokyo – The Yokohama Rubber Co. has begun practical testing of its newly developed tire air pressure remote access system (TPRS) system which enables the monitoring of tire conditions remotely.

The system, developed by Yokohama, involves an air pressure sensor attached to the inner surface of tires and will be tested in taxis operated by the two companies in Kyoto Prefecture, the tire maker announced 20 June.

The testing, which began in May with Kyoto Taxi Co. Ltd and Koshin Taxi Co., aims to verify the effect of TPRS technology on the safety and economical operation of taxi fleets.

The technology, which delivers data on tire air pressure, temperature, and vehicle location, is claimed to "greatly reduce" time spent on checking tires at the start of each day and records air-pressure data.

It also enables early detection of slow punctures that cause gradual air leakage.

In addition, the system’s ability to detect tire abnormalities in real time can help prevent accidents.

The system transmits detection data to a cloud server, enabling the taxi company’s fleet managers and Yokohama Rubber’s sales offices to monitor tire air pressure.

Unlike the conventional valve-type TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system), air-pressure sensor attached to tires’ inner surface can be used on a wide variety of vehicles and wheels as an aftermarket part that can be used with any wheel type.