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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: 2) by corey on Wednesday October 06 2021, @02:53AM
That’s where I was going in my thinking too. It can’t be orthogonal rollers like in an old school mouse, that’s just too inefficient I’d think. Wonder if they’ve come up with some fancy 3D spherical squirrel cage AC motor? Ie. electromagnets on the outside and inside the “tyre”, a set of bars arranged so as to effect magnetic spin when provided the right magnetic field. But then how to levitate the ball…