A paper published in the journal Nature shows that to collect dynamic driving data, it requires the presence of superior control systems which depends on the feedback from the tyres.
It is a fact that smart tyres have the ability to collect dynamic driving data with sensors which comes along with the traditional tyre monitoring devices. The authors of the paper with the title "3D printed graphene-based self-powered strain sensors for smart tires in autonomous vehicles", claims to have made a breakthrough with the development of a direct mask-less 3D-printed strain gauge, combined with a flexible piezoelectric energy harvester for powering the sensors and a secure wireless data transfer system, coupled with machine learning to enable predictive data analysis.
According to the paper, the ink created from materials based on graphene was utilised to print a strain sensor for measuring the varying driving condition and also to analyse the interaction between the tyre and road.
A secure wireless data transfer system, powered by a piezoelectric patch, was then utilized to provide self-powered sensing and wireless communication capability.
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The wrinkled microstructure of graphene allowed the sensor to withstand deformation without failure, and the sensors were integrated into a tyre and rig tested.
The authors stated that most of these sensors are rigid, require external power and are fabricated using time-consuming multistep processes, which increases the complexity and cost. Comparatively, 3D-printing based manufacturing process not only simplifies processing but also enables direct integration with the tyres.
The authors stated that the study paves way for the design and fabrication of cost-effective smart tyres by demonstrating a practical, self-powered wireless strain sensing capability.
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