Michelin has unveiled its 3D printed Vision Concept tires that unlike traditional air-pressurized tires, don’t need to be inflated.
Cars of the future could be equipped with the smart tires that can tell you when they need servicing. The unique design was unveiled by a French company the at the 2017 Movin’ On conference in Montreal a week ago.
The inner design of Michelin‘s concept tires is modeled on nature. The honeycomb-like structure that is similar to the air sacks in the human lung. The alveolar pattern features a rigid center which branches out to thousands of chambers. The airless design reduces the risk of a blowout or flats due to punctures.
Michelin‘s airless Vision concept tires are 3D printed from bio-sourced and recycled biodegradable organic materials, including straw, bamboo, paper, tin cans, sugar by-products, and orange peels.
As the entire wheel is produced from recyclable materials, once it reaches the end of its life, the tire itself will also be recyclable. However, it will pass “thousands and thousands of kilometers” down the road, before it happens, according to Michelin.
Its creators envision customers could choose among different types of top-up printed layer of rubber tread: winter, summer, all-season or other. When needed, the customer only presses a button, rides to a 3D-printing stand, and the tread design will be custom tailored by a machine.
In-wheel sensors will monitor information about the tire’s condition in real time and notify drivers when the tire needs to be redone.
According to MailOnline.
