Airless Tires

[btwilcox]

Did anyone see the new airless tires in the lastest Popular Science magazine? I read that they are not going to be available for automotive applications until ten years from now because they are so noisy. They are supposedly made from a composite of sorts. I do not have the article with me, but I was wondering if anyone knows any more about these tires, or could point me to a website with more details.

 

[GregLocock]

They are made by Michelin, called (horribly) Tweels.

http://www.michelinman.com/difference/releases/pressrelease01102005a.html

I thought the spokes were polyurethane.

Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[SVanden]

NASA Tech Briefs just had a short piece on them. The spokes are a deformable polyurethane.