Relationships between strains induced in a tire side face and the applied loads under various conditions

Abstract

Measurement of road surface friction coefficient is important to improve vehicle safety. Recently, various advanced driver-assistance systems have been developed for vehicles. Generally, the driver-assistance systems use information obtained from wheel speed sensors, acceleration sensors, yaw rate sensors etc. However, road surface friction coefficients are difficult to be measured accurately in real time by using usual sensors. As a tire of a vehicle is only parts to contact with a road surface, various studies try to develop an intelligent tire capable of measuring road surface friction coefficients. The authors have already proposed a method to measure road surface friction coefficients from strains induced on the tire-sidewall. This study clarifies the effects of the tire pressures and slip ratios on the measurement results of the road surface friction coefficients with the proposed method.