Levitating concept tires can move Autonomous cars in all directions
At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Goodyear really has re-invented the wheel by unveiling two new tire concepts designed with autonomous vehicles in mind – including a spherical tire that allows cars to drive sideways.
The Eagle-360 concept is a perfect sphere that attaches to a car by magnetic levitation rather than axles, enabling it to rotate on any axis and move the car in any direction. This should make parking much easier and could lead to smaller car parks. Good Year added that the tire’s shape will improve passenger safety thanks to the increased maneuverability they give vehicles.
Additionally, the Eagle-360 tire features integrated sensors that can
monitor weather and road conditions, feeding the information back to the car’s autonomous systems. It can also communicate with nearby vehicles or the local traffic system, and is able to extend its life by monitoring its treads and pressure, rotating itself for more even wear and longer mileage.
monitor weather and road conditions, feeding the information back to the car’s autonomous systems. It can also communicate with nearby vehicles or the local traffic system, and is able to extend its life by monitoring its treads and pressure, rotating itself for more even wear and longer mileage.
Goodyear has used biomimicry when designing the Eagle, which is the imitation of elements found in nature for the solving of complex human problems. In this case, the tire’s 3D-printed design copies that of the brain coral, allowing the tire to stiffen in dry conditions and soften in the wet, altering the way it acts depending on the conditions of a road surface.
By Rob Thubron on
Comments
Post a Comment