Tyre developments in wheel time

Mankind might have beaten nature to the discovery of the wheel, but – other than numerous refinement tweaks – little has really changed since it was rolled out to the public more than 5000 years ago.

Not that science hasn't been constantly looking at ways of improving the concept – particularly in the field of automotive transport, where a pretty constant stream of alternatives to the current wheel-and-tyre arrangement has bubbled along over the years.

And while some of the concepts, including puncture-proof tyres that dispense with air as a shock-absorbing medium, show some promise, there are some particularly mind-expanding ideas that might at first sound too bizarre to ever become reality but could come to a showroom near you in the foreseeable future.

In a website showcasing some of the more outrageous ideas being researched by tyre manufacturers, Australian company Titan, which supplies tyres, wheels, tracks and axles to multiple industries, presents some seemingly outlandish concepts that are said to be potentially viable.

Among the most intriguing is Goodyear's Eagle-360 spherical tyre concept, which dispenses with traditional wheels and axles in favour of sensor-laden, ball-type structures that are capable of swivelling, on all four corners of the vehicle, through a full 360 degrees to provide astounding manoeuvrability.

Another concept, in development by Michelin, is the non-puncture "Tweel." This combination of wheel and "tyre" involves a solid inner hub that is attached to the axle by more or less normal means and is fitted with flexible polyurethane spokes that contort to duplicate an air-filled tyre. An outer "shear band" replicates the normal tyre surface.

Bridgestone's take on the puncture-proof tyre is its airless, all-in-one tyre/wheel with small, spring-loaded spokes and a shallow outer rubber coating combining to provide comfort with flat-free security, as well as an anticipated improvement in durability compared to traditional tyres. It's anticipated the all-in-one tyre/wheel will be available in 2018 or 2019.

Off-roading is getting attention too, with Korean tyre-maker Hankook working on both the "Boostrac" tyre with expanding hexagonal blocks that enable it to be configured for various circumstances, including driving through sand or up steep bush tracks, and the "Alpike" which can extend its circumference to raise ground clearance for easier negotiation of heavy snow drifts, or improve grip on icy surfaces through expansion of the gaps in the tread.

Hankook is also working on a bizarre "Hyblade" design with "waterwheel" treads and pop-out propeller spikes that efficiently drain water while helping steering responses in wet or slushy conditions.

Perhaps the two ideas most likely to surface are Goodyear's self-inflating tyre that restores correct pressure via a special pumping tube that uses the weight of the car as it rolls, and Goodyear-Dunlop's chip-in-tyre which has a chip inserted in the rubber that monitors air pressure and temperature and communicates with the car and enable optimum tyre pressures to be chosen for specific circumstances. The former is anticipated for launch around 2020.

We'll take on notice though the claim that the Eagle-360 spherical tyres are a likelihood in the foreseeable future.