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SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES TOP > News > 2020 > Sumitomo Rubber Industries Begins Proof-of-Concept Testing for New Tire Pressure Management Solutions Service

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Begins Proof-of-Concept Testing for New Tire Pressure Management Solutions Service

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. is pleased to announce that we have recently begun proof-of-concept testing for a new type of tire pressure management solutions service that allows for remote monitoring of tire pressure and temperature as part of a joint project undertaken with the cooperation of Shin-Idemitsu Co., Ltd. and its group subsidiary: IDEX Auto Japan Co., Ltd., as well as our partners at TripodWorks Co., Ltd. and one of our own tire sales subsidiaries: DUNLOP TYRE KYUSYU Co., Ltd. Through this testing project, we will evaluate the overall effectiveness of this service when it comes to supporting safer driving, as well as its specific effectiveness in terms of reducing maintenance time and workload, preventing operator error and so forth toward achieving our ultimate aim of establishing a business model that helps to enhance the safety and economy of driving.


This round of proof-of-concept testing involves introducing our new service for remotely monitoring tire pressure and temperature to 30 vehicles operated by Shin-Idemitsu as part of their “RAKUNORI” vehicle leasing business and 500 vehicles operated by IDEX Auto Japan as part of their “Budget Rent a Car” vehicle rental business in three prefectures in the Kyushu Region (Fukuoka, Miyazaki and Kagoshima) in order to evaluate the effectiveness of this service in the field.
This service makes it possible to directly view data collected by the TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) installed in each tire from anywhere in the world via the Cloud, which not only reduces tire maintenance workload, but also helps to ensure that tire pressure is maintained at appropriate levels, thereby contributing to improved fuel economy, safer driving and greater overall peace of mind. At the same time, we also hope to evaluate various ways of refining the overall quality and convenience of this service by allowing RAKUNORI customers to view the latest measurement data through a personalized customer website in order to collect feedback.

In order to respond to the rise of CASE (Connected/Autonomous/Shared/Electric), MaaS (Mobility as a Service) and other major innovations that are already transforming the automotive industry, the Sumitomo Rubber Group is actively engaged in the development of tire pressure management solutions services and other innovations as part of our “SMART TYRE CONCEPT,” a forward-thinking concept for the development of tires and peripheral services to better serve the needs of the Mobility Society of the Future.

Insufficient tire pressure is not only a common cause of punctures and flat tires, but also leads to a decline in fuel efficiency and driving performance. As such, regular tire pressure maintenance is extremely important. However, as autonomous vehicles become more common and mobility society becomes increasingly driverless, there will almost certainly be a greater need for services that also make vehicles maintenance-free. By allowing for remote monitoring of tire pressure, we believe that our new system, currently undergoing proof-of-concept testing, will provide just such a solutions service for greater safety and peace of mind for the upcoming era of autonomous driving.

Service Overview

[Company Profiles]
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd.
Head Office: 3-6-9 Wakinohama-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, HYOGO
Representative: Satoru Yamamoto, President & Representative Director
Founding: 1909
Scope of Business: Manufacture & Sale of Various Tires, Sporting Goods & Industrial Products
(Global Tire Brands: DUNLOP, FALKEN)

Shin-Idemitsu Co., Ltd.
Head Office: 1-10 Kamigofuku-machi, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, FUKUOKA
Representative: Yasunori Idemitsu, President & Representative Director / Group CEO
Founding: 1926
Scope of Business: Sale of Petroleum, LNG, LPG & Electric Power, Vehicle Rentals, Purchase & Sale of Automobiles, Etc.

IDEX Auto Japan Co., Ltd.
Head Office: 3-9-22 Tanotsu, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, FUKUOKA
Representative: Toshimichi Takada, President & Representative Director
Founding: 1985
Scope of Business: Vehicle Rentals, Sale of Automobiles, Insurance, Etc.

DUNLOP TYRE KYUSYU Co., Ltd.
Head Office: 2-1-65 Enokida, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, FUKUOKA
Representative: Masaya Tomida, President & Representative Director
Founding: 1954
Scope of Business: Sale of Various Tires, Automotive Parts, Rubber Products, Etc.

TripodWorks Co., Ltd.
Head Office: 1-1-41 Ichiban-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, MIYAGI
Representative: Kenichi Sasaki, President & Representative Director
Founding: 2005
Scope of Business: IoT Systems Development, Provision of IoT Services, Development & Sale of IT Security Products


[Reference]
News Release Issued November 28, 2019
“Realizing Tire Pressure Monitoring to Support Level 4 Automated Driving—Preempting Tire Trouble Caused by Drops in Tire Pressure”
https://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/newsrelease/2019/sri/2019_096.html

News Release Issued May 16, 2019
“Expanding Tire Control Solutions with Digital Tools — Basic Business Alliance Agreement with IoT Developers”
https://www.srigroup.co.jp/english/newsrelease/2019/sri/2019_041.html