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Yue et al. Soft Sci 2023;3:13 Soft Science
DOI: 10.20517/ss.2023.02

Research Article Open Access

Stretchable flexible sensors for smart tires based on

laser-induced graphene technology

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Yang Yue , Xuyang Li , Zifen Zhao , Hao Wang , Xiaogang Guo 1,*
1
Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
2
Expace Technology Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430048, Hubei, China.
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Both authors contributed equally.
*Correspondence to: Prof. Xiaogang Guo, Institute of Advanced Structure Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, 5 South
Zhongguancun Street, Beijing 100081, China. E-mail: guoxg@bit.edu.cn
How to cite this article: Yue Y, Li X, Zhao Z, Wang H, Guo X. Stretchable flexible sensors for smart tires based on laser-induced
graphene technology. Soft Sci 2023;3:13. https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ss.2023.02
Received: 19 Jan 2022 First Decision: 15 Mar 2023 Revised: 4 Apr 2023 Accepted: 10 Apr 2023 Published: 27 Apr 2023

Academic Editors: Yihui Zhang, Young Min Song Copy Editor: Ke-Cui Yang Production Editor: Ke-Cui Yang

Abstract
Continuous feedback on a tire is an essential means to ensure tire safety. Smart tires are an important part of the
future vehicle control system, which affects the safety and comfort of vehicles by combining sensors with
traditional tires to achieve continuous monitoring of real-time dynamic parameters. A stretchable and flexible
sensor made of laser-induced graphene (LIG) and PDMS, designed for use in smart tires, is presented in this work.
The sensor is known as a LIG-PDMS sensor. Using transfer printing, LIG is formed on a commercial polyimide film
under the scribing of a laser beam following the predesigned route before being transferred to a PDMS film. This
technology is used to successfully prepare flexible sensors for measuring the tire road interaction at different
driving speeds due to its flexibility and shape-following characteristics. The real-time monitoring of the wheel
speed and the shape of the tire grounding mark during the driving process is realized by embedding multiple LIG
sensors in the tire to monitor the strain information of the tire grounding. Results show that the tire deformation
can be accurately feedbacked with the LIG sensors, demonstrating our method's capability for designing and
manufacturing intelligent tires.

Keywords: Laser-induced graphene (LIG), stretchable strain sensor, shape-following characteristic, smart tire

INTRODUCTION
As the only interaction between the vehicle and the road, the tire affects the stability, dynamics, safety, and

© The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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