Automotive tire which never punctures is near completion

The pneumatic tire which appeared at the end of the 19th century dramatically increased the efficiency of the vehicle, but the only weakness suddenly punk. Once it is punctured, it is almost impossible to run, but it is currently under development that a tire that does not need air to enter and never punctures.

Run flat tireAlthough there are tires that have durability against puncture to some extent, how much is practical compared with those?

Details are below.
Reinventing the wheel - the airless tire

This tire named non-pneumatic tire is located in the state of Wisconsin, USAResilient TechnologiesIt was developed under the fund of the Department of Defense.

In the Iraq warGimmick bombIt seems that the development of a tire that does not cause such a puncture is urgently needed because the occupants of a truck tire stuck punctured and died after being attacked.

Non-pneumatic tire pulled out of mold. It is an irregular honeycomb structure with hexagonal cells aligned, so it seems possible to distribute the load evenly.


Vibration and noise at high speed were problems in development, but this honeycomb structure realized ride feeling almost unchanged from pneumatic tire.


Even in rough terrain this street. It deforms flexibly.


For developmentUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonPolymer Engineering Laboratory cooperates. Although supply to the military is regarded as a top priority, it seems to be applied also to fields requiring durability such as mining development and agricultural applications.

Similar tires, Michelin also "Tweel"We announced it in 2006, and introduction for the space environment which is impossible to repair even if it punctures is being studied.