There are the annoying squeaks, bearing noises and sometimes twitching noises. If your car seems to be expressing itself through new noises, it may be to announce the imminent failure of parts that the information system cannot detect. A start-up has found a solution to hear and identify the source of these suspicious noises.
Vroom-paf-paf, clack-clack, grouic… When the car makes suspicious noises while driving, it is sometimes a cause for concern. This is even more true when a car is lined with sensors designed to monitor the slightest disturbance, including tire pressure, and the trip computer doesn’t show up. In order to detect what the car can’t do on its own, the American company V2M (for “Vehicle-to-Maintenance”) has developed a system that literally listens for suspicious noises that a vehicle might be making.
To do this, two electro-acoustic detection modules must be installed under the front and rear of the car. In between is a control unit that centralizes and registers the slightest squeak or suspicious crackle. The sounds are converted into digital signals and then sent to the company’s server for analysis. Again, it is an artificial intelligence equipped with perfect pitch and the talent of a skilled mechanic that determines the type of problem the vehicle may encounter. Instead of waiting for a big boom, the AI uses a special application to direct the driver to the garage.
A mechanical music loving AI
This type of alert may also potentially be sent to the vehicle’s information system, as well as to the manufacturer or even a fleet operator. In terms of acoustic capacity, the system detects the wear of the bearings, certain seals and bellows, but also the distributor rollers at the end of the run, tension problems on the belts. V2M has yet to teach the AI to identify problematic noises related to suspensions. The procedure applies to all types of vehicles, whether thermally or electrically powered. The prototype of this system was also tested on a Tesla. In a spirit diametrically opposed to low-carbon mobility but with plenty of noise, Ferrari might also be interested in the V2M system.