Autonomous Cars Will Have Spherical Tires, Connected With Magnetic Levitation

Goodyear’s plans for the future are nothing if not bold. The company has a tire-some (awesome tire ;)) concept for autonomous cars that completely changes the way we’ve seen tires and vehicles in the last years.

At the Geneva International Motor Show, Goodyear presented spherical tires that are connected to the car through magnetic levitation. They are 100% 3D printed with a biomimecry-inspired design (if you think it looks like corrals, you are not mistaken). It’s all a concept of course, but the Eagle-360, as it is called, made everyone wish it could become a reality sooner.

The tires feature small sponges that soften on wet pavements to acommodate better the vehicle to the environment, while the water is ejected by centrifugal force. Also, since the tire is a sphere, it can move in every direction making changes of lanes and parking a lot easier.

Since a recent study from Navigant Research has revealed that 85 million autonomous-capable vehicles are expected to be sold annually by 2035, Goodyear might have a firm reason to push forward with its plans.