Do you happen to remember the 2004 Audi RSQ concept? Well, if you don’t, let me refresh your memory. It was the same car driven by Will Smith early on in the film iRobot as he battled a number of really pissed off robots. The whole RSQ vs. Robots scene was pretty spectacular, but did you notice how the RSQ and those large robot haulers were able to move in almost any direction? In one scene, as the first robot hauler passes the Audi RSQ you can see it rides on these large Spherical tires, and it’s safe to assume that RSQ had the same time of tire hidden behind the metal. It only took 12 years, but at the 86th Geneva International Motor show,->ke228 GoodYear debuted its concept of the Eagle GT-360 – the tire that the RSQ and those robot haulers needed for unlimited maneuverability.

Along with a conceptual model, Goodyear also released some futuristic specs on the tire that may change the way cars roll, at least until they start flying anyway. Basically, the design is based on the concept->ke169 of self-driving cars->ke5282 and will allow unlimited maneuverability with an equipped car able to move in all directions. According to Goodyear, this would contribute to safety->ke2860 for passengers and cope with space limitations such as tight parking spaces. Furthermore, the tires would have embedded sensors to communicate road and weather conditions to the vehicle and other vehicles on the road. The sensors would also monitor and regulate tread wear evenly to increase the life of the tire.

Another major feature of the concept is the 3D printed tread and its design. It is printed to mimic the pattern of brain coral and is able to behave like a sponge. Basically, it can stiffen in dry conditions and soften when wet for better performance and aquaplaning resistance. That’s cool and all, but how exactly will the tires be driven and how will they connect to the car? Well, we asked those questions too, so keep reading to find out what we think.

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Magnetic Levitation

There is a little more to this tire concept that you might think at first glance. When the conceptual tire made its debut in Geneva, Goodyear supplemented it with a press release. In that release, the company said that the tires would be connected to the car via magnetic levitation: “The tires would rely on a magnetic levitation system to suspend the car resulting in a smooth, quiet ride for the passenger.” This would work the same way a permanent magnet levitates over a superconductor. In this case, the car would be the permanent magnet (or have permanent magnets inside the "sphere arches,") and the Eagle GT-360 tires would be the superconductors.

It's Really Like a Hampster in a Ball

So, we know that the car will actually levitate above the wheels, but that still leaves a serious question: How will the tires be driven? What I think we’re looking at is more than just a rubber sphere. Considering the tires are actually levitating the car, I was able to come to an interesting conclusion. The car won’t send power to the wheels at all. Instead, the wheels will be power source behind vehicle movement. To put it simply, think of a hamster in a ball – he can go whichever way he wants, right? Well, engineers could apply the same idea to the Eagle GT-360 and put motors inside of the tire – allowing the GT-360 to effectively move the car via that magnetic levitation.

Further Thinking

The way I see it, each tire would be equipped with a motor and a battery pack. When the car is parked the magnetic levitation will cease and the vehicle itself will sit down onto the ground smoothly. From there inductive charging will recharge the battery pack in each tire. When it’s time to roll out, the tires are turned on, the vehicle begins to levitate, and you enjoy your smooth ride to work.

These tires were built with self-driving cars in mind – like the Audi RSQ Concept – so you can imagine what a tire like this could do for parking and vehicle storage. Instead of finding a parking spot at work, you pull up out front, get out, and the car parks itself. The beauty, however, is that the lanes in the parking lots and spaces can be much closer together, saving space and creating more parks spots, and leaving you to worry about things other than a long walk from the car or an unfriendly co-worker keying your baby because you send out too many memos.

Conclusion

Okay, so I’m thinking a little into the future on this one, but you can see the concept certainly has its merits. If you click play on the video above, you’ll see Goodyear UK’s video of how the Eagle GT-360 could revolutionize the way cars drive in the future. Surely, we’re years away from something like this becoming a reality, but eventually battery technology and electric motor technology will advance enough that this concept could be ideal. Just think, someday you may be buying new tread for your cars levitating balls instead of buying new tires. It might not work out so well for those of you who like to off-road, but for those who want a smooth ride and widely improved maneuverability, it’s definitely something to look forward to. Self-driving cars are coming sooner or later, and I bet something like the Eagle GT-360 will too.

Oh yeah, and in case you’re wondering about how a motorized sphere could work, the technology is already here – just look at the Sphero 2.0 robot. Speaking of which, a design like that, just larger would mean we could drive our cars from our smartphones. Hey why not, we already do everything else with them, right?