Video: Goodyear unveils spherical 'future' tyre
3D-printed mag-lev tyre concept makes dramatic leap in tyre technology at the Geneva motor show
Goodyear has unveiled its design of a sphere-shaped tyre with 3D-printed tread pattern based on a ‘brain coral’ that could represent the largest advance to tyre technology since vulcanised rubber.
The concept tyre would involve a vehicle using a magnetic levitation system to effectively hover over four of the spherical units.
“We aren’t trying to predict the future, but we’re looking to the future of mobility and connectivity,” says Goodyear’s Keith Price, spokesperson for the company’s R&D arm, speaking at the Geneva motor show.
The anticipation is that the so-called Eagle-360 would be used in conjunction with a number of other emerging vehicle technologies, including autonomous systems that would aid with positioning and allow a mag-lev vehicle to move sideways on its tyres without re-angling its chassis. Watch and learn:
