By: Grattan R.
With the autonomous car becoming an
advancing reality, Goodyear has decided to undergo prototyping and design of a
far-off future tire. The tire will actually be a spherical design that will be
suspended from the car by a magnetic field, eliminating the need for wheels and
axles in tires. Presumably, technology of automobiles will have to advance
quite a bit for tires to be magnetically levitated under a car, but a lot of
companies are not too far off from making magnetically powered cars. The tire
will be able to have a custom tread for any specification thanks to 3D printing
the tread, meaning tires can be created and adapted for different conditions. In
addition to not requiring axles, the tire does not require suspension,
dramatically reducing weight and cost of vehicle production.
The tire is adaptable to different
conditions, a sponge-like groove design softens when wet to create deeper
grooves for more traction and to prevent hydroplaning in rainy conditions. In
addition, water is dispersed from the tire and these grooves thanks to
centrifugal force. The grooves stiffen when dry versus wet to offer better
performance. The tire is not all rubber though, underneath the layer of rubber
is foam which helps the tire make better contact with the road. 
In terms of safety enhancements, active
technology allows the tire to rotate freely, thus reducing the chance of losing
control of the car due to hazards. The free rotation also allows the car to
have a smooth ride with fluid movement, the car can pass another vehicle
without having to change direction at all. One problem someone might suggest is
wear of tires causing uneven surfaces, the tires will have sensors to rotate
the tires automatically after assessing tread wear. One more benefit of free
rotating tires is less area needed to park due to each tire being able to
rotate individually.
Clearly this technology is far off, but
when someone first came out with a design for an autonomous car, everyone
assumed that was just as far away, and look where we are now. This tire could
see a new mode of transportation and safety for the future, provided the
technology is there to produce it.
Sources Cited
“The
Future Tire by Goodyear - It's a Sphere!”. CarThrottle.Com.
CarThrottle. 6 April 2016. Web. 7 April 2016.
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