<VV> New Tweel Tires (No Corvair)

[AeroNed at aol.com]

If you Google on Tweel you can find picture of this "new" tire...
 
MICHELIN LETS THE AIR OUT  OF FUTURE TIRE INNOVATION Michelin announces two 
fitments for its revolutionary  non-pneumatic
Tweel(tm)
DETROIT, M.I. (January 9, 2005) -  Today at  the North American International 
Auto Show (NAIAS) Michelin showcased a  potential future for mobility, an 
integrated tire and wheel combination missing  one ingredient that is vital for 
traditional tire performance...air. The company  unveiled the first real-world 
fitments for its revolutionary "Tweel" - which  operates entirely without air. 
View the photo gallery.
"Major revolutions in  mobility may come along only once in a hundred years,"
said Terry Gettys,  president of Michelin Americas Research and Development 
Center in Greenville, S.C. "But a new century has  dawned and Tweel has proven 
its potential to transform mobility. Tweel enables  us to reach levels of 
performance that quite simply aren't possible with today's  conventional pneumatic 
technology."
Michelin's Tweel is in production and  available as an enhancement for future
iBOT(tm) mobility systems. Invented by  Dean Kamen, the iBOT(tm) mobility 
device has the ability to climb stairs and  navigate uneven terrain, offering 
mobility freedom impossible with traditional  wheelchairs. Additionally, Segway 
LLC's Concept Centaur, a prototype that  applies self-balancing technology to a 
four-wheel device, has also been equipped  with Tweel to increase its 
performance potential.
Beyond these first  real-world applications, Michelin has additional projects 
for Tweel on  construction skidsteers and a variety of military vehicles.
The
most  intriguing application may be Michelin's early prototype Tweel fitment 
for  passenger cars. The mobility company released video of promising Tweel  
performance on an Audi A4.
"The Tweel automotive application, as demonstrated  on the Audi, is 
definitely a concept, a stretch application with strong future  potential,"
said Gettys. "Our concentration is to enter the market with  lower-speed, 
lower-weight Tweel applications. What we learn from our early  successes will be 
applied to Tweel fitments for passenger cars and  beyond."
Benefits of Tweel(tm):
The heart of Tweel innovation is its  deceptively simple looking hub and 
spoke design that replaces the need for air  pressure while delivering performance 
previously only available from pneumatic  tires. The flexible spokes are 
fused with a flexible wheel that deforms to  absorb shock and rebound with 
unimaginable ease. Without the air needed by  conventional tires, Tweel still 
delivers pneumatic-like performance in  weight-carrying capacity, ride comfort, and 
the ability to "envelope" road  hazards.
Michelin has also found that it can tune Tweel performances  independently of 
each other, which is a significant change from conventional  tires. This 
means that vertical stiffness (which primarily affects ride comfort)  and lateral 
stiffness (which affects handling and cornering) can both be  optimized, 
pushing the performance envelope in these applications and enabling  new 
performances not possible for current inflated tires. The Tweel prototype,  demonstrated 
on the Audi A4, is within five percent of the rolling resistance  and mass 
levels of current pneumatic tires. That translates to within one  percent of the 
fuel economy of the OE fitment.
Additionally, Michelin has  increased the lateral stiffness by a factor of 
five, making the prototype  unusually responsive in its handling.
Future of Tweel(tm) Technology:
For  Michelin, Tweel is a long-term vision that represents the next step in a 
long  path of industry-changing innovations. Fifty years ago, Michelin 
invented the  radial tire and there is no question that radial tire technology will 
continue  as the standard for a long time to come.
Michelin
continues to advance the  performance of the radial tire in areas such as 
rolling resistance, wear life  and grip. In the short-term, the lessons learned 
from Tweel research are being  applied to improve those conventional tire 
performances. In the future, Tweel  may reinvent the way that vehicles move. 
Checking tire pressure, fixing flats,  highway blow-outs and balancing between 
traction and comfort could all fade into  memory.