Goodyear has reinvented the wheel by creating a spherical tire which looks like the BB-8 from Star Wars – that allows cars to drive sideways.
The company unveiled the Eagle-360 at the Geneva International Motor Show that is designed for the autonomous cars of tomorrow.
The spherical tire is linked to the car by magnetic force so it can rotate on any axis in any direction.
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The tires rely on magnetic levitation, resulting in increased passenger comfort and reduced road noise
This gives the car ultra-maneuverability and could pave the way for smaller car parks and more efficient used of road space because it allows the car to move sideways.
There are also embedded sensors in the tires that increase safety by communicating road and weather conditions [such as black ice or sudden obstacles] to the vehicle control system and other nearby cars.
The tire can also monitor its treads and pressure and rotate itself for more even wear and longer mileage.
Joseph Zekoski, Goodyear’s senior vice president and chief technical officer, said: ‘By steadily reducing the driver interaction and intervention in self-driving vehicles, tires will play an even more important role as the primary link to the road.
‘Goodyear’s concept tires play a dual role in that future both as creative platforms to push the boundaries of conventional thinking and test beds for next-generation technologies.’
The company expects that, by 2035, car manufacturers will be selling 85 million autonomous cars annually.
The Goodyear Eagle-360 is a spherical-shaped design concept tire that would provide self-driving cars ultimate maneuverability, connectivity and biomimicry to increase safety. the firm says.
HOW IT WORKS
The spherical tire is linked to the car by magnetic force so it can rotate on any axis in any direction.
It would be 3D printed depending on the type of driving the owner was planning.
The multi-orientation of the spherical-shaped tire allows the car to move in all directions, contributing to safety for passengers, as well as coping with space limitations such as tight parking lots or city streets.
The 3D printed tread mimics the pattern of brain coral and behaves like a natural sponge – designed to stiffen in dry conditions and soften when wet to deliver excellent driving performance and aquaplaning resistance.
Embedded sensors further increase safety by communicating road and weather conditions to the vehicle control system and other nearby cars, while tread and tire pressure monitoring technology regulate even wear of the 360-degree tire to extend mileage.
The multi-orientation of the spherical-shaped tire allows the car to move in all directions, contributing to safety for passengers, as well as coping with space limitations such as tight parking lots or city streets.
Embedded sensors further increase safety by communicating road and weather conditions to the vehicle control system and other nearby cars, while tread and tire pressure monitoring technology regulate even wear of the 360-degree tire to extend mileage.
The Eagle-360 has embedded sensors that allow the tires to assess the local environment and communicate with other vehicles or the local traffic control system
The multi-orientation tires move in all directions, contributing to passenger safety
The tires would rely on a magnetic levitation system to suspend the car resulting in a smooth, quiet ride for the passenger.
Inspired by nature, the 3D printed tread mimics the pattern of brain coral and behaves like a natural sponge – designed to stiffen in dry conditions and soften when wet to deliver excellent driving performance and aquaplaning resistance.
Marco Corzo 