Wheels Of The Future, CariCarz’s Six Innovative Tyre Concepts

The technology in a car is always evolving, but tyres however remained mostly the same throughout the years. Well, that’s all about to change.

As carmakers continue to conjure up bizarre concept vehicles, tyre manufacturers are also developing new wheels to stay in the game.

CariCarz has come up with another list of innovative tyre concepts, and all of these are a significant step up from the dull and old-fashioned tyres of today.

First off, the Eagle 360 Urban tyre by Goodyear. It is a 3D-printed spherical concept tyre for driverless cars that is designed to become part of the vehicle's ‘nervous system’.

Powered by artificial intelligence (AI), the tyre is covered in a ‘bionic skin’ of sensors made from super-elastic polymer. 

This enables it to sense driving conditions, including terrain and weather, before feeding it back to the AI system to adapt itself accordingly.

Plus, the tyre is also able to connect with other vehicles, as well as infrastructure, traffic and mobility management systems, to register information on its real-time surroundings. 

Second is the Oxygene tyre, also by Goodyear. This 3D-printed concept wheel is filled with living moss that absorbs moisture from the road and converts it into oxygen through photosynthesis.

Oxygene generates electricity by converting carbon dioxide into oxygen, which then also powers its electronic features such as an AI processing unit and sensors.

Interestingly, the concept’s idea was conceived as a response to research revealing the impact of unsafe air quality levels in urban areas.

Next up is the Superelastic tyre by NASA. In collaboration with Goodyear, NASA's non-pneumatic Superelastic tyre was inspired by the Apollo lunar tyres.

Even though it was initially made for future missions to Mars, it can also be seen as an alternative to the everyday and ordinary air-filled tyres.

Notably, the Superelastic tyre is composed of shape memory alloys that can withstand high strain and excessive deformation without permanent damage.

Fourth on the list is the Hexonic tyre by Hankook. This innovation is an intelligent tyre concept for autonomous shared mobility vehicles, and passenger comfort is all it's about.

Its tread is broken up into a series of hexagonal modules that appear to be able to split apart to create new channels for water. 

Moreover, each hexagon also has a Y shape in the middle that can push through the smooth surface to add extra grip.

According to the brand, the Hexonic tyre has no less than seven sensors in it to read, analyse and react to the road in real-time, taking things like grip, temperature and the road surface into account.

Coming in at number five is the Aeroflow tyre, again by Hankook. It is a concept that was made as a maximum downforce tyre designed for use in motorsports.

Rolling with a wide body, its fat slick tread can separate in the middle to become much wider, and suck incoming air into a turbine impeller. 

Said design focuses on the downforce, which is not generally taken into consideration during tyre development, making the draft unique.

Lastly, another one of Hankook’s, the Airless i-Flex tyre. This concept developed in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Company is designed to maximise Hyundai’s Plug & Drive (PnD) module.

The i-Flex is a biomimetic concept with a futuristic non-pneumatic design and does not require air-pressure monitoring or refills. Making it an excellent choice for self-driving cars.

Furthermore, the design of a multi-layer interlocking spoke inspired by the cellular structure of biological beings was used to absorb road shocks and allow it to carry big weights. 

Then, the multi-layer interlocking spokes shape the cell in 3D for better shock absorption and allow hexagonal and tetragonal cell structures of varying rigidities to link up for more stable load support.

Also, the design’s c-shaped concave tread profile ensures maximum contact patch, which further contributes to road safety.

Overall, these concepts might come off as a thing of science fiction, but with all the technology the cars are equipped with nowadays, that fiction is quickly becoming reality.