Sumitomo tests remote tire tracking service

Sumitomo has begun testing a new service in Japan to remotely monitor tire pressure and temperature. At the moment, the company's goal is to evaluate the effectiveness of the service, which is designed to increase the level of road safety, as well as to help fleets efficiently plan work and reduce transport downtime.

Sumitomo's new technology allows data collected by TPMS sensors in tires to be received from anywhere in the world using a cloud service.

The tests will involve 30 vehicles from the Shin-Idemitsu vehicle rental company, as well as 500 IDEX Auto Japan vehicles. The tests will take place in three prefectures of the Kyushu region - in Fukuoka, Miyazaki and Kagoshima.

Sumitomo notes that the company plans to measure the efficiency and convenience of the service by providing users with the ability to obtain tire data through a dedicated website.

Tire monitoring is becoming increasingly important as the self-driving car segment develops, the Japanese company says.