by With self-driving vehicles inching ever closer to reality, there are more than a few autonomous vehicle designs floating around. But we’ve never seen one quite like this.
Tyre giant Goodyear has shown off an ambitious wheel concept that offers a glimpse of what driving in the near future might look like. Doing away with the conventional wheel and axle setup, Goodyear envisages cars being carried by four spherical tyres, which can swivel their tread in 360 degrees to help the vehicle move in ways that today’s cars never could.
Dubbed ‘Eagle–360’, the company says these multi-orientation tyres would provide superior manoeuvrability to today’s mechanically aligned wheels, letting each tyre independently respond to potential hazards, such as ice on the road or sudden obstacles.
In theory, they could also provide a smoother ride, enabling the car to move sideways in instances like overtaking or lane changes, without requiring the nose of the vehicle to turn. Check out the video above and you’ll get an idea of how that could work.