Goodyear unveils two concept spherical tyres
The Goodyear Tyre and Rubber company unveiled two concept tyres at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, developed specifically for autonomous cars. The first concept is the Goodyear Eagle-360. As the suffix suggests, 360 stands for a complete rotation of the wheel in any direction. This is because this tyre has a spherical shape which, in turn, would help self-driving cars to manoeuvre, especially in tight parking spots.
These tyres also have embedded sensors that'll relay road and weather conditions to the car's control system as well as cars in the vicinity. There's a tread and tyre pressure monitoring system too that'll ensure even wear to improve life of the tyre. If you are wondering how'll the car move on a spherical wheel, Goodyear says that the tyre will be connected by means of magnetic levitation.
The tyre's 3D printed tread pattern behaves like a sponge, stiffening up in dry conditions and softening while on a wet surface, thereby enhancing traction and reducing chances of aquaplaning.
The second tyre, the Goodyear IntelliGrip, too has similar ability to communicate to the weather conditions to the vehicle as well as enhance tread life, it has a couple of unique attributes to itself. It has custom algorithms that account for tyre temperature and inflation pressure. The tyre can also reduce the stopping distance, in case of hard braking on a slippery surface, thereby ensuring stability as well as aiding collision avoidance systems.
These tyres are currently regarded as future concepts and Goodyear says that it's working closely with various manufacturers to develop these tyres as per their needs.
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