Application Note – Road Surface Measurement

Published: 6/18/2026

In the automotive (particularly autosport) and aerospace industries, understanding the interaction between tyres and road surfaces or airfield pavements can yield significant competitive advantages:

• Tyre wear reduction and improved longevity
• Improved handling, enhancing steering and braking
• Reduced rolling resistance, improving range and fuel efficiency
• Reduction in tyre mass, reducing airframe weight and unsprung mass
• Reduction in performance degradation in wet and icy conditions

The Alicona surface profiling tools are ideally suited for this, using focus variation to measure both surface and profile roughness.

Measurements can be taken in the laboratory on most of the Alicona range although the InfiniteFocus SL is particularly suitable. Using a 2x objective the images and data below were recorded.

Also available is the Alicona PortableRL; equipped with the same sensor it is available with a battery pack to allow data capture direct from the road surface.