Sensing Core: A Leap in Tire Tech

The assessment criteria mentioned by Sumitomo Rubber is the ASPICE (Automotive Software Process Improvement and Capability Assessment) system, developed under the leadership of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA). Derived from the ISO/IEC 15504 international standard, it has become the "entry code" for global automotive software development.

The system categorizes enterprise capabilities from 0 to 5 levels, with Level 3 (Established) marking the transition from "project-level control" to "organizational maturity." It requires the establishment of a standardized process library across projects, enabling both unified reuse and flexible tailoring to specific scenarios.

The core value of this level lies in addressing the challenges of automotive software quality and efficiency. Data shows that companies that pass the ASPICE Level 3 assessment experience an average 30% reduction in software regression testing cycles and a 45% drop in field failure rates.

The top 10 global automakers have even established this as a mandatory threshold for Tier 1 suppliers. For Sumitomo Rubber, this signifies that its tire sensing technology software development process has reached a standardized level on par with mainstream automakers.

"Core Sensing" Technology: How to Open the Door to Level 3?

Sumitomo Rubber's SENSING CORE technology is not a single sensor, but rather an intelligent system integrating hardware perception and software algorithms. Its ability to meet standards stems from two key breakthroughs:

In terms of process standardization, this technology establishes development specifications covering the entire "perception - analysis - warning" chain. For example, to collect core data such as tire grip and wear, the team defined 12 basic indicators and eight verification algorithms.

All parameters are connected to a unified requirements management platform (such as Jama Connect), enabling full traceability from requirement submission to testing and acceptance. This standardized design enables the technology to be adapted to different vehicle models—from Suzhou Xiangcheng autonomous driving test vehicles to European and American fleets, allowing for rapid reuse of core modules.

In terms of organizational reusability, Sumitomo Rubber has integrated 25 years of experience in tire pressure warning system (DWS) R&D to establish a cross-regional technology sharing mechanism. Its European headquarters in Germany and its Changshu, China, factory can simultaneously access algorithm libraries.

For example, the grip model for icy and snowy road conditions is derived from both Nordic test data and incorporating field parameters from Northeast China. This reusability is a core requirement of ASPICE Level 3. More importantly, this technology addresses the sensor energy bottleneck: by utilizing tire rotation to generate electricity, continuous data transmission is possible without batteries, further reducing the cost of cross-scenario adaptation.

Behind the Breakthrough: A New Era for the Smart Tire Industry

This achievement by Sumitomo Rubber is a microcosm of the "software-defined tire" trend. Driven by the wave of autonomous driving and connected vehicles (CASE), tires are evolving from passive load-bearing components to active sensing nodes, with software capabilities becoming a key competitive advantage.

SENSING CORE technology already enables five core functions: real-time monitoring of tire pressure, load, road conditions, wear, and wheel looseness. It can even predict potential vehicle failures through AI algorithms, saving $2,500 in maintenance costs per vehicle per year.

This achievement will further reshape the industry's supply chain landscape. Currently, most tire companies' sensing technology remains at ASPICE Level 2 (managed level), enabling only single-project process control.

However, Sumitomo Rubber's Level 3 capability qualifies it for in-depth collaboration with intelligent driving companies. For example, its technology can output "invisible data" to autonomous driving systems. When cameras are obscured by heavy rain, the tire's perception of the road's friction coefficient can provide a critical supplement for safety decision-making.