Nira Dynamics AB

Last updated
NIRA Dynamics AB
Type Company limited by shares
Industry Automotive
Founded2001
Headquarters Linköping, Sweden
Key people
Lisa Åbom (CEO)
Products Tire-pressure monitoring systems
Sensor fusion systems
Automotive safety systems
Revenue 22.9 million (2019)
Number of employees
120 (2021)
Website niradynamics.se

NIRA Dynamics AB is a Swedish company focusing on research and development of signal processing and control systems for the automotive industry. It supplies automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and suppliers in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia with its products and systems. In 2021, the number of vehicles equipped with NIRA's main product, TPI, exceeded the benchmark of 75,000,000. [1]

Contents

History

NIRA was founded in 2001 and is located at Mjärdevi Science Park in Linköping, Sweden.

During the early period, NIRA Dynamics developed the first two of its products: the anti-spin system NSC and a positioning system MAP.

NSC received the Volvo Technology Award and until 2004 was featured in the Volvo S40 and V40 models under the name DSA (Dynamic Stability Assistance). [2] Since 2007, NSC is in series production and featured in a line of motorcycles from one of the world leading motorcycle manufacturers.

In 2008, NIRA was presented the European Automotive Chassis Product of the Year Award by Frost & Sullivan for its product TPI.

Since 2014, NIRA has broadened its product portfolio with RSI (Road Surface Information), TGI (Tire Grip Indicator), LWI (Loose Wheel Indicator).

Since 2017, NIRA has started working in the road maintenance space, where they provide their products Winter Road Insights and Road Health to cities, authorities, road operators and road contractors.

Since 2020, NIRA has been collecting road surface information data from regular passenger vehicles. The data is used to improve road safety, by either supporting drivers, assisting vehicles or providing the data to the road maintenance industry. In 2020, NIRA launched Road Surface Alerts with the Volkswagen Group, providing slipperiness warnings to drivers.

NIRA Dynamics holds an ISO 9001:2000 certificate stating that it has efficient and structured processes and tools to manage collaborative development projects in international environments.

Technology and products

NIRA Dynamics' core product is its Tire Pressure Indicator (TPI), an indirect tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) capable of detecting underinflation simultaneously in up to four tires. At the moment, TPI is installed in several Audi models (the A1, A3, A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, Q3, Q5, Q7, TT and many more); several Volkswagen models (Polo, Golf, Jetta, Beetle, Scirocco, Passat, Tiguan, Touran, Sharan and many more); several SEAT and Skoda models; as well as the Chery Arrizo 7 and the MG 3. It is also fitted to many Volvo, Fiat and Renault vehicles. The system meets the American FMVSS 138 and the European ECE R-64 regulations on tire pressure monitoring systems. [3] TPI is a software component that uses both relative rolling radius information as well as wheel oscillation measurement. It estimates tire pressure mainly from the signals of the wheel speed sensors that are part of the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and electronic stability control system (ESC). It gets active shortly after a reset which triggers a self-learning process. A reset needs to be initiated by the driver when the tires have been changed or the pressure adjusted. TPI does not require any in-wheel pressure sensors and RF (radio frequency) components. The Audi TT series was the first to be equipped with TPI, in 2006. The Audi A4 and A5 models followed the next year. [4] TPI can be fit into different electronic stability control hardware hosts, including those of Continental AG, Robert Bosch GmbH, and TRW Automotive.

NIRA Dynamics is developing sensor fusion based systems for different vehicle applications. Sensor fusion or sensor data fusion is the use of information from several different physical sensors to compute new virtual sensor signals. The virtual sensors can be of two different types: improved versions of physical sensor signals, or soft sensors that have no direct physical counterpart among the sensors used.

TPI ABS is a TPI version for vehicles with built-in anti-lock braking system (which is standard in most cars) but no electronic stability control system (which is not standard, particularly in emerging markets).

Loose Wheel Indicator (LWI) detects when the wheel bolts/nuts have come loose on at least one wheel position and the wheel starts to separate from the hub. It warns the driver who then can bring the vehicle to a safe halt before the wheel falls off. As TPI and all other NIRA products, this software-based function does not require any additional sensors.

Tire Grip Indicator (TGI) constantly estimates the available friction between the road and the tires. Unlike comparable functions, it does not need any additional sensors like tire-mounted sensors or cameras. This makes TGI very cost effective.

Road Surface Information (RSI) includes the friction estimation function of TGI, but goes one step further by completing this with road roughness information and detecting irregular events like potholes, speedbumps etc. This information can either be used directly in the car, for example to adapt the chassis, or be distributed via cloud services to other vehicles, road authorities etc. In the winter 2015/2016, NIRA started a field study in Sweden where a fleet of taxi vehicles has been equipped with RSI delivering for example an online, real-time friction map of the roads of Gothenburg, Sweden. In 2020 the product was taken to market full-scale and was in 2021 installed in over one million passenger vehicles, collecting road surface data.

Road Surface Alerts (RSA) - Based on world-leading friction estimation technology, Road Surface Alerts is the next generation local hazard warning system providing the most precise slipperiness warnings ever.

Road Surface Conditions (RSC) - Designed to make cars smarter and roads safer, Road Surface Conditions combines and assesses data from connected vehicles, RWIS, radar/satellite images, and weather prognoses to provide a real-time picture of the road status – with unmatched data coverage. This, in turn, helps enable SAE Level 2 and 3 vehicle functions in all kinds of weather and road conditions.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anti-lock braking system</span> Safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and land vehicles

An anti-lock braking system (ABS) is a safety anti-skid braking system used on aircraft and on land vehicles, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, and buses. ABS operates by preventing the wheels from locking up during braking, thereby maintaining tractive contact with the road surface and allowing the driver to maintain more control over the vehicle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tire</span> Ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheels rim

A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which the wheel travels. Most tires, such as those for automobiles and bicycles, are pneumatically inflated structures, which also provide a flexible cushion that absorbs shock as the tire rolls over rough features on the surface. Tires provide a footprint, called a contact patch, that is designed to match the weight of the vehicle with the bearing strength of the surface that it rolls over by providing a bearing pressure that will not deform the surface excessively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brake</span> Mechanical device that inhibits motion

A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic stability control</span> Computerized safety automotive technology

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slip angle</span> Term or maneuver in vehicle dynamics

In vehicle dynamics, slip angle or sideslip angle is the angle between the direction in which a wheel is pointing and the direction in which it is actually traveling. This slip angle results in a force, the cornering force, which is in the plane of the contact patch and perpendicular to the intersection of the contact patch and the midplane of the wheel. This cornering force increases approximately linearly for the first few degrees of slip angle, then increases non-linearly to a maximum before beginning to decrease.

Limited-slip differential Type of differential

A limited-slip differential (LSD) is a type of differential that allows its two output shafts to rotate at different speeds but limits the maximum difference between the two shafts. Limited-slip differentials are often known by the generic trademark Positraction, a brand name owned by General Motors.

Quattro (four-wheel-drive system) Sub-brand by Audi

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Electronic brakeforce distribution or electronic brakeforce limitation (EBL) is an automobile brake technology that automatically varies the amount of force applied to each of a vehicle's wheels, based on road conditions, speed, loading, etc, thus providing intelligent control of both brake balance and overall brake force. Always coupled with anti-lock braking systems (ABS), EBD can apply more or less braking pressure to each wheel in order to maximize stopping power whilst maintaining vehicular control. Typically, the front end carries more weight and EBD distributes less braking pressure to the rear brakes so the rear brakes do not lock up and cause a skid. In some systems, EBD distributes more braking pressure at the rear brakes during initial brake application before the effects of weight transfer become apparent.

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Traction, or tractive force, is the force used to generate motion between a body and a tangential surface, through the use of dry friction, though the use of shear force of the surface is also commonly used.

A tire-pressure monitoring system (TPMS) monitors the air pressure inside the pneumatic tires on vehicles. A TPMS reports real-time tire-pressure information to the driver, using either a gauge, a pictogram display, or a simple low-pressure warning light. TPMS can be divided into two different types – direct (dTPMS) and indirect (iTPMS).

PACE Award Annual Automotive News award

The PACE Award is an annual award from Automotive News. The focus of the award is an innovation (i) developed primarily by a supplier, (ii) that is new to the automotive industry, (iii) that is in use, and (iv) that "changes the rules of the game." Awards have been given for products, materials, processes, capital equipment, software and services. A panel of independent judges from industry, finance, research, and academia choose finalists from the initial applicants, make site visits to evaluate the innovation, and then gather to select winners, independent of the sponsors. Winners to date include suppliers from Japan, Korea, China, the US, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Poland and other European countries. Among the most awarded companies over the years are BorgWarner, Delphi Automotive, Federal-Mogul, Valeo and PPG Industries as well as Robert Bosch GmbH, Gentex Corporation, and Siemens.

An active suspension is a type of automotive suspension on a vehicle. It uses an onboard system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels relative to the chassis or vehicle body rather than the passive suspension provided by large springs where the movement is determined entirely by the road surface. Active suspensions are divided into two classes: real active suspensions, and adaptive or semi-active suspensions. While semi-adaptive suspensions only vary shock absorber firmness to match changing road or dynamic conditions, active suspensions use some type of actuator to raise and lower the chassis independently at each wheel.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tire maintenance</span>

Inspection and maintenance of tires is about inspecting for wear and damage on tires so that adjustments or measures can be made to take better care of the tires so that they last longer, or to detect or predict if repairs or replacement of the tires becomes necessary. Tire maintenance for motor vehicles is based on several factors. The chief reason for tire replacement is friction from moving contact with road surfaces, causing the tread on the outer perimeter of tires to eventually wear away. When the tread depth becomes too shallow, like for example below 3.2 mm, the tire is worn out and should be replaced. The same rims can usually be used throughout the lifetime of the car. Other problems encountered in tire maintenance include:

S-AWC is the brand name of an advanced full-time four-wheel drive system developed by Mitsubishi Motors. The technology, specifically developed for the new 2007 Lancer Evolution, the 2010 Outlander, the 2014 Outlander, the Outlander PHEV and the Eclipse Cross have an advanced version of Mitsubishi Motors' AWC system. Mitsubishi Motors first exhibited S-AWC integration control technology in the Concept-X model at the 39th Tokyo Motor Show in 2005. According to Mitsubishi Motors, "the ultimate embodiment of the company's AWC philosophy is the S-AWC system, a 4WD-based integrated vehicle dynamics control system".

Loose wheel nut indicator

A loose wheel nut indicator is a measuring tool that warns of loose wheel nuts, which is the most common cause of wheels on vehicles falling off.

Direct TPMS, or direct tire pressure monitoring systems refers to the use of a pressure sensor directly mounted on the wheels or tires of a vehicle. The pressure inside the tire is measured using a pressure transducer with the pressure information being subsequently sent to the vehicle to warn the driver of under or over inflation of a tire. The pressure information is commonly transmitted to the vehicle using radio frequency (RF) technology, though systems using mechanical, electrical or magnetic methods have been used over recent years.

References