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Tweel
| The Tweel (a portmanteau of tire & wheel) is a prototype tire designed by Michelin. The tire uses no air & therefore cannot burst or become flat. Instead, flexible polyurethane spokes are used to support an outer rim. Certain handling gains have been cited as a reason to adopt this type of motor vehicle tire. If certain problems with the prototypes (such as excess vibration & noise at higher speed) are worked out, the first applications for the tire may be in the military where a flat-proof tire would be extremely advantageous to maneuvering vehicles in difficult or dangerous areas.The Tweel has been presented in a variety of applications including wheelchairs & construction equipment. It may even eventually be able to outperform conventional tires since it can be designed to have high lateral strength (for better handling) without a loss in comfort. |
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