TRW and Michelin to Cooperate in Development of Tire Monitoring Devices

TRW Inc. and Michelin announced today that they have signed a cooperation agreement to develop and market tire pressure monitoring devices for the passenger car and light truck industries.

The agreement provides a framework for the development of a next-generation monitoring system that not only will indicate tire pressure and temperature but will use additional tire condition data to determine -- and warn drivers of -- unsafe tire inflation conditions.

Initially, the agreement calls for TRW's TireWatch(TM) radio-frequency-based transmitter sensor, which transmits tire pressure and temperature data to an in-vehicle receiver, to be integrated with Michelin's Pax System and Logic software.

Subsequently, the two companies will work together to develop a next-generation transmitter for application on the Pax System as well as on conventional tires. Efforts will eventually include optimizing the whole tire pressure monitoring arena, according to Heinz Pfannschmidt, executive vice president and general manager of TRW Automotive Electronics.