Automated Tire Wear Inspection Using Surface Shape Approximation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual methods for wear inspection in vehicles, such as calipers, are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and limited to measuring only the maximum wear, while existing image processing methods only assess deterioration conditions for a portion of the tire, failing to provide comprehensive wear information.
Innovation Solution
A wear inspection apparatus that acquires surface shape data, calculates an approximation line to determine wear, distinguishes between gradient and flat portions, eliminates noise, and creates a histogram to extract processing targets, enabling comprehensive wear assessment across the entire surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual methods using calipers are used for wear inspection, then measurement can be performed, but it requires time and effort, labor costs, and is limited to measuring only maximum wear
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement methods (calipers) with an automated optical imaging system. The imaging device captures images of the tire surface, and image processing algorithms automatically analyze wear patterns, eliminating the need for manual mechanical measurement while providing comprehensive wear data across the entire tire surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the tire surface through imaging. By capturing images and processing them to generate three-dimensional surface information, the system creates a virtual representation of the tire that can be analyzed computationally, replacing physical manual measurement with digital analysis.
2Productivity
If existing image processing methods are used, then automation is achieved, but deterioration conditions can be ascertained only for a portion of the tire
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tire surface analysis into multiple processing regions. The image processing unit segments the tire surface into different areas and performs wear analysis on each segment, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the entire tire rather than just a single portion, thereby preventing information loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional image capture to three-dimensional surface reconstruction. By processing images to generate three-dimensional surface information, the system enables comprehensive wear assessment across the entire tire surface, overcoming the limitation of analyzing only a portion of the tire.
Data Source
AI summary
A wear inspection apparatus includes a data acquisition unit which is configured to acquire surface shape data including information indicating a shape of a surface of a part wearing as a vehicle travels, and an approximation processing unit which is configured to calculate an approximation line for the acquired surface shape data and calculates a degree of wear of the part from the approximation line and a worn portion included in the surface shape data.