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As this year’s Geneva Motor Show saw the most luxurious brands competing for dominance in an increasingly fast evolving market, there is one company who made headlines with their innovative tire concept that could possibly redefine the future autonomous car.
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company just revealed their Eagle-360 spherical-shaped tire at the 86th Geneva International Motor Show and critics are already branding it the solution for self-driving vehicles.
According to the American tire manufacturing company, some of the main characteristics of this futuristic tire are connectivity, maneuverability and a high degree of safety.
In terms of connectivity, the tires’ embedded sensors will enhance safety by sending updates regarding the road and weather conditions to the vehicle control system and to the neighboring cars.
Furthermore, the company has designed a monitoring technology for the tread and tire pressure, which will regulate the wear of the tires, thus extending the car’s mileage.
The tires will use a magnetic levitation system in order to suspend the car, allowing for a soft, noise-free ride for the passengers.
Since these spherical-shaped tires have a multiple orientation, it helps the vehicle move in all directions, thus increasing the passengers’ safety, and making it easier to deal with tight parking spaces or narrow city streets.
The American manufacturer says this concept was inspired by nature, with the 3D printed treat resembling the pattern of brain coral and functioning like a natural sponge. This means that it can harden in dry conditions and soften when it becomes wet, therefore increasing the aquaplaning resistance and the overall driving performance.
Joseph Zekoski, who is Goodyear’s senior VP and CTO, believes that their tires will gradually reduce the driver’s involvement in self-driving cars, thus allowing their equipment to play an even greater role, as the primary connection to the road.
The company executive goes on to say that their tire concept will not only be a pathway to changing the conventional thinking of their industry, but it will also serve as testbed for future technologies.
Goodyear is one the largest tire manufacturing companies in the world, with a staff of over 66,000 people in 22 countries globally. The company’s founders pride themselves with two Innovation Centers in Ohio and Luxembourg, which aim to create original, high-quality products and services that raise the bar for performance in the automobile industry.
Image Source: Gizmag
