Originally Posted By: ueberooo
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
http://www.wimp.com/tiredesign/
little ditty on tires.
That's some super futuristic stuff. The maglev wheels don't seem too plausible, but some of the other stuff seems to make sense.
Maglev: impossible, you'll waste too much energy suspending it on a tire and lose a lot on acceleration / deceleration. Magnetic struts? Maybe, just not inside the wheel.
Extreme cornering 3-in-1: How do you link them together reliably? The only advantage over a good suspension is reduced friction between inner and outer radius when turning, so it either 1) has to have a differential inside the wheel between the 3 or 2) it is non driving wheel. Motorcycle style rounder tires may be a better choice if you want to reduce steering time lost on wide tires. Also if you want the same tire foot print with this benefit, I think a bigger tire with narrower width would give you a "longer" foot print that has less lost in turning (with reduced stability), much simpler to make.
Variable block: holy rolling resistance batman.
Curve inward / outward at speed: the most realistic one out of the 4, but that means reduced tire integrity if you want something so flexible, then again, maybe not.