CPC G01M 17/022 (2013.01) [B60C 25/007 (2013.01); G01L 1/146 (2013.01); G01L 1/18 (2013.01); G01L 1/205 (2013.01)] | 24 Claims |
1. A lightweight, portable system for measuring the size, shape and vertical pressure profile of a contact area occurring between a moving tire and a real or simulated road surface, the system comprising:
a thin, flexible elongate array of force or pressure sensing elements mounted on a strip of material and configured to extend across a width of the tire to sense a contact patch;
a means for scanning the array of sensing elements to determine a contact force or pressure on a surface of the array at a time;
a means for storing data associated with the contact force or pressure on the surface of the array at the time;
a means for collecting the stored data for analysis on an external computing device;
a means for wirelessly transferring the stored data to the external computing device; and
a means for removably attaching the strip to one of the moving tire and the real or simulated road surface.
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