Results of Joint Research on AI Technology by Sumitomo Rubber Industries & Hokkaido University Published in Nature Index
Jul. 02. 2021
Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. is pleased to announce that a sponsored article introducing the results of our ongoing research involving the utilization of AI (Tyre Leap AI Analysis*) as a means of accelerating the development of new technologies to extend the longevity of tire performance has been published as part of a special feature on materials science on the website of Nature Index, which is one of the world’s leading databases of research results. Our company is already taking advantage of this groundbreaking technology to accelerate the development of “Performance Sustaining Technology,” which aims to suppress the degradation of tire performance that occurs due to wear and the passage of time so that tires can maintain like-new performance for longer. Performance Sustaining Technology is one of the key development themes of our “SMART TYRE CONCEPT,” a forward-thinking concept for the development of tires and peripheral services of the future.
Tyre Leap AI Analysis utilizes advanced AI-based analysis technology developed by Professor Miki Haseyama and her team in Laboratory of Media Dynamics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University in order to analyze electron microscope images of rubber compounds developed for tires by Sumitomo Rubber Industries. The use of AI allows for analysis at a level of precision that is well beyond human capabilities, making it possible to extrapolate rubber properties from electron microscope imagery. This technology combines information on the raw materials that make up rubber compounds with detailed information on compound structures, etc. in order to estimate rubber properties with extremely high precision. In addition, Tyre Leap AI Analysis is also capable of detecting changes in the internal structures of rubber that have occurred during use, meaning that this technology has enormous potential for future applications as a tool for predicting the properties of used rubber, as well.
By combining the cutting-edge rubber technology that Sumitomo Rubber Industries has used to create numerous “world first” breakthroughs to date with Hokkaido University’s advanced information science know-how, we will continue working to create new value while contributing to the realization of a more sustainable Mobility Society of the Future.
■Nature Index Profile
First published over 150 years ago, Nature is one of the world’s most prestigious multidisciplinary science journals. Nature Index is a database that compiles the results of world-class research, tracking scientific output by country and by institution. Compiling research papers published in 82 leading scientific journals (including Nature and its affiliates), Nature Index serves as a global index for high-quality scientific output as measured in terms of the published results of institutional and joint research.