In-tire sensor redesigned

The next generation of Michelin’s eTire pressure and asset monitoring system features a wireless, battery-free sensor patch that weighs less than half an ounce yet provides temperature-compensated pressure measurement that can even identify a slow leak, according to Marc Laferriere, vp of marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires. Called eTire II, it is now in limited production for market testing.

In addition to the sensor, which is glued inside the tire sidewall, the eTire II system includes a handheld device and a drive-by reader for wirelessly capturing both tire identification numbers and pressures. The final component in the system is Michelin’s BibTrack, a hosted, web-based application for collecting and storing the captured information.

Much smaller than the sensor patch used in the first generation eTire HD, the new sensor is much thinner and lighter, taking advantage of a technology called surface acoustic wave (SAW) to provide pressure readings without battery power. An RFID chip in the patch then automatically sends the information when it passes by a reader.

Michelin Americas Research and Development Corp. and Honeywell Sensing and Control jointly developed the new generation eTire II system. It is not compatible with the original eTire HD system, although Michelin says it will continue to support the first generation product for as long as necessary.

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