Tyres are getting smarter: whilst current TPMS usually only measure tyre pressure, next generation devices intend to provide much more information to the driver, such as the condition of the tyre, possible wear, temperature etc…
In current TPMS, either placed in the thread or more recently in the rim of the tyre, coin cells are used, which make TPMS more bulky than they need to be and difficult to replace the battery if it fails. A solution combining a miniature solid state battery with a vibration energy harvester could provide a long term, perpetual device.
Ilika plc (LON:IKA) is a pioneer in materials innovation and has been inventing new materials for energy and electronics applications for over a decade. Global brands such as Rolls Royce and Toyota have long term collaborations with Ilika’s development teams.