Goodyear’s 3D-Printed Spherical Tire Will Revolutionize Driving

Entertainment

 | March 9, 2016 | By Jason Owen

The leader in automotive tires has just changed the wheel…again.

Goodyear, on March 1, unveiled the concept design for a 3D-printed tire at the Geneva Motor Show. While a 3D-printed tire might be enough to make headlines, Goodyear did one better and completely revolutionized the design with the Eagle-360, a completely spherical tire.

Watch the amazing demonstration below.

From Digital Trends:

“Designed for use on future autonomous vehicles, the Eagle-360 is a spherical tire that would be suspended from a car by magnetic fields. The closest analogy to this is the way maglev trains levitate through the use of magnetic poles. Goodyear claims that passenger comfort would be dramatically changed for the better while road noise would be diminished. That makes sense, considering how the interaction with the road surface is transferred to vehicle occupants because of the physical link between tire and axle.”

According to a Facebook post from the tire manufacturer, “The unique shape contributes to ultimate maneuverability, connectivity and safety!”

And how a vehicle could potentially move, turn, and maneuver is perhaps the most impressive takeaway from the prototype.

As seen in the video, the concept car has unlimited mobility, making the term, “turning on a dime,” literal, as it moves a full 90 degrees without having to turn the actual vehicle. Hate parallel parking? These wheels might be the death of that most loathed of driving benchmarks.

While the concept is meant for futuristic cars, the idea is causing waves on social media. It’s clear that if these tires go into full production, you can expect automotive manufacturers will come full circle and implement them in all future designs.