Tire Tread Scanner - User Guide

How to Perform a Measurement

Watch the video tutorial for a quick summary on how to perform a measurement.

How to Measure

Install the Demo App and set it up for first use (see “How to Use the Tire Tread Demo App”)
Press Open Scanner

Position Device Correctly

(only on iOS) If on iOS, firstly initialize the tire detection by moving device back and forth slowly (the camera should be pointing at the tire)
Align the camera with the outer tire shoulder, keep approximately 20cm (8 in)
Once aligned, start the scan by tapping anywhere on the screen

Move Device Very Slowly Across the Tire Tread

Move your device very slowly and steady towards the inner tire shoulder, always keep a distance to the tire of approximately 20cm (8 in)
The Scan will automatically stop after approximately 7 seconds; the device will vibrate strongly and make a sound once the scan is done

Dos, Don’ts & Scanning Tips

Make sure to record the tire tread and not the floor, tilt your phone accordingly while scanning (pointing to the middle of the tire), this may feel a bit unnatural the first few times
You have to get very close to the tire and find a place where it can be scanned at a distance of about 20cm (8 in) - in most cases you have to kneel or squat to perform a scan
Make sure that no other tires are visible in the scan, especially no tires should be directly next to or on top of each other, if you are scanning dual tires, record the selected tire only
Make sure that the screen orientation lock setting of your OS is not active
Make sure you have a stable and good internet connection

Training - How to Become a Measure Expert

Finding the right spot to scan and get in the right position

You need to find a place on the tire or vehicle where it is possible to move the smartphone around the tread from one side to the other, with at least 20cm (8 in) of space. If the tire is not free-standing or the vehicle is on a lift, there is a very high chance that you have to kneel or squat to perform a scan. However, this would also be the case with a manual measurement using a gauge.

It is completely normal if the first attempts fail – we recommend doing a few practice scans to become familiar with the solution before performing real measurements.

Get the movement right

For the process, imagine you are filming a video or panoramic shot of the tire tread. It is important that you record the entire tread - from one tire shoulder to the other.

Perform a practice scan and focus on recording from the outer tire shoulder to the inner tire shoulder.

Get the distance right

A scan should be performed at a distance of about 20 cm (8 in) to the tire. The vibration (and audio) feedback will indicate, if the distance is not ideal. If you feel the distance vibration or audio feedback, adjust the distance of the device to the tire.

Perform a practice scan and focus on keeping the right distance.

Get the angle right

The tread surface is the star of our shot, so it should be in focus of the camera, not the ground or anything else. After all, we don't want to determine the tread depth of the ground, do we? Tilt your phone accordingly while scanning (pointing to the middle of the tire), this may feel a bit unnatural the first few times.

Perform a practice scan and focus on tilting the device to the camera points to the middle of the tire.

Get the speed right

As with any other video recording or a panoramic shot, it is important to make a stable recording that is as steady as possible. It is therefore important that the movement is slow so that there is as little motion blur as possible. The scan will automatically end at the end, after the timer has finished - there will be a strong vibration. Try to use as much of the time for the movement as possible.

Perform a practice scan and focus on making a slow movement and focus on the timer.

How to Read the Results

The results screen, which appears after the measurement is done, displays the tread depth in either mm or 32” (depending on your configuration in the settings).
The value on the top represents the global tread depth of the entire tire. This value is calculated based on more than 100 000 individual measurements over the tread and gives an indication of the condition tire by calulating the most representative value; the value does not necessarily have to correspond to the lowest tread depth value on the tread surface.
The values below represent the tread depth of the respective zone (the zone distribution is visible on the heatmap, see Details), it’s not representing measurements of single grooves.
The Details button opens the heatmap with a visual representation of the tire tread.

How to Compare the Results

Please follow this article (https://anyline.atlassian.net/servicedesk/customer/portal/2/article/4338155547), if you want to compare the results of the Anyline software with manual gauges.

Comparing the measurement results to manual measurements of single grooves is not representative, since the Anyline software captures a lot of measurement points at once and calculates the most representative tread depth value for the tire.

How to Use the Tire Tread Demo App

How to Get the Demo App (Tire Tread Showcase)

Please reach out to your Anyline contact, you will receive an invite to download the Showcase app and further instructions.

How to Get a License Key for Testing

You will receive a license key together with your app invite.

How to Enter your License Key in the Demo App

Open the Demo App
Navigate to the Settings view
Enter the license key in the License Key field
Confirm & save by pressing OK

How to Change Settings (e.g. Change Measurement System)

Open the Demo App
Navigate to the Settings view
Configure the desired settings
- mm or inches: You can change the unit of measurement (“Use Imperial System”)
- Scan speed: Select Fast if you are scanning Passenger Car tires, select Slow for Heavy Vehicle/Commercial Tires (Trailer, Steer & Drive Tires)
On the settings screen you can check your app version number
With the “test setup” feature you can check if you have a valid license key

Tire Scanning

Now you are ready to scan, please follow the tutorial “How to Perform a Measurement” of this article

How to Integrate the SDK in your Application

To use or test the tire tread scanning capability fully integrated in your software, you can integrate our SDK. The demo application is a showcase example on how the SDK can be integrated. More information can be found on the official SDK documentation page under “Tire Tread SDK” (https://documentation.anyline.com/main-component/index.html).

FAQs

I get no habtic (vibration) feedback on Android

Make sure your device is not on “do not disturb”
Make sure your device is not in “silent mode”
Go to Settings > Sounds and Vibration > Vibration Intensity; check that the intensity for System is turned on

Can I test the Tire Tread scanner with the “Anyline Scanner” app which is available in the app stores?

Currently the Tire Tread scanner is only testable via a separate demo app. See section “How to Get the Demo App”.