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Leave it to the French to try something different--a new prototype platform for electric cars from Citroen doesn't need to steer the wheels, because normal (cylindrical) wheels are replaced by spherical tires, made specially by Goodyear. https://www.tiretechnologyinternational.com/news/new-tires-news/goodyear-develops-bespoke-eagle-360-spherical-concept-tire-for-citroen.html
Goodyear introduced the Eagle 360 concept at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2016, with a second iteration, the Eagle 360 Urban concept, following in 2017. The latest iteration of the design features a high level of maneuverability (due to the tire’s spherical shape) and long-lasting attributes (thanks to a tread surface that is four times larger than a standard tire). The tire provides extended range due to a low-rolling-resistance rubber and consistent grip in all driving directions thanks to hexagonal siping.
Link includes pics of the car/platform and the tire tread. Are you ready to drive on big black soccer balls? I want mine multi-colored like beach balls.
(Score: 0, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 06 2021, @02:24AM (4 children)
Driving on the freeway, you try to drive defensively, look left, look right, look behind.
And then this "car" does crab walk and smack you straight from the side at 80mph.
The price of "progress" - thanks to this brilliant frog/yank collaboration.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 06 2021, @03:21AM (1 child)
> And then this "car" does crab walk and smack you straight from the side at 80mph.
And then the computer controlling this "car" loses its 6G connection, it crab walks and smacks you straight from the side at 80mph.
ftfy
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 06 2021, @12:31PM
And then at the accident scene when everyone is milling about, a Tesla sees the emergency vehicles and plows into EVERYBODY!
(Score: 2) by ilPapa on Wednesday October 06 2021, @03:24AM (1 child)
Acura, Audi, Cadillac, BMW, Ferrari, Lambo, Mercedes, Lexus, and Porsche all already make cars with regular tires and 4-wheel steering. What keeps them from doing a crab walk into the side of your car? I'm pretty sure that there was a Toyota Celica in 1992 that also had 4 wheel steering. There is a good chance that you've been passed on the highway by a car with 4 wheel steering and didn't even know it.
You are still welcome on my lawn.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday October 06 2021, @03:35AM
That 4-wheel steering was on Honda Prelude (a pretty car, I must say, back when Honda produced attractive, interesting, and reliable cars).
Regardless, this isn't a 4-wheel steering, this is a vehicle design that don't have no conception of front/back/left/right. It's a "car" with four spherical balls for wheels.