A Superellipse-Based Model for Tire Contact Patches Reproduction

The tires are the sole point of contact between the vehicle and the road, and, they are a critical component when it comes to the vehicle’s performance and handling. All the interactions that ensure the adherence of the vehicle and the handling of it take place in the tire/road contact patch. This paper discusses the importance of tire contact patches and introduces a model for representing them that utilizes an image processing procedure in combination with the superellipse equation to describe their shape even in cases of strong asymmetry. This work requires an experimental approach that utilizes a specific test rig to acquire data related to tire footprints. Image processing is used to extract useful information and determine the contour of the contact patch from the raw acquisitions. Finally, a superellipse-based contact patch model is developed to represent the shape of the footprint accurately. The tire contact patch shaped as a superellipse can be fundamental as an input for improving tire physical models and for obtaining more information regarding the tire’s design.