Sumitomo Rubber’s SENSING CORE Debuts on Isuzu Heavy-Duty Truck
Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has introduced its proprietary software platform SENSING CORE as standard equipment on the new Isuzu GIGA heavy-duty truck offered by Isuzu Motors, marking the first time the technology has been adopted by a Japanese vehicle manufacturer.
The system incorporates a “Wheel Detachment Prediction Detection System” designed to monitor in-motion loosening of wheel nuts. Using wheel-speed signals and CAN (controller-area-network) vehicle data, SENSING CORE analyses tyre rotation, load, wear, and even potential wheel separation events. If abnormal wheel-nut loosening is detected, the system issues a warning message and buzzer alert to the driver, thereby supplementing conventional safety inspections. European Rubber Journal
SRI notes that heavy-duty vehicle wheel separation remains a safety concern in Japan, with the Japan Automobile Tyre Manufacturers Association and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism reporting numerous incidents in recent years. The new GIGA model is designed to address these risks directly while advancing SRI’s mobility-safety agenda.
Beyond wheel-nut loosening detection, SENSING CORE also monitors tyre pressure, wear, and load – without requiring additional sensors mounted on the tyres themselves. The data-driven approach supports future mobility applications, including fleet management and predictive tyre maintenance.
With this launch, SRI takes a meaningful step toward integrating “smart-tyre” intelligence into commercial vehicle platforms. It positions the tyre maker not just as a materials supplier but as a mobility-systems innovator offering real-time vehicle-condition analytics via the tyre-as-sensor concept.
Editor’s View:
The adoption of SENSING CORE by Isuzu underlines how tyres are evolving from passive rubber drums into live data nodes within vehicle networks. For the tyre industry, this means the value of a tyre extends far beyond tread compound and carcass stiffness; it now embraces embedded intelligence and condition-monitoring capability.
From a fleet and heavy-truck perspective, the ability to detect wheel-nut loosening in real time helps mitigate a major safety risk while also reducing downtime and maintenance costs. The technology reinforces that future tyres will be part of holistic vehicle-health ecosystems where load, wear, pressure, and even loosening events are tracked continuously.
For manufacturers and suppliers, the implication is clear: materials excellence remains critical, but software, sensor-fusion, and data analytics capability will increasingly differentiate the high-value segment in the tyre supply chain.
