South Korea’s Hankook Tire unveiled an airless tire known as “i-Flex” throughout the Client Electronics Present 2022 in Las Vegas. Photograph courtesy of Hankook Tire
SEOUL, Jan. 7 (UPI) — South Korean producer Hankook Tire showcased an airless tire, dubbed “i-Flex,” throughout the Client Electronics Present 2022 in Las Vegas.
The Seoul-based firm mentioned that, not like typical merchandise, the brand new tire doesn’t require air, because of its biomimetic design.
The tire is made up of a multi-layer interlocking spoke that helps help the load-bearing construction and take in shock, the corporate mentioned.
The ten-inch tire doesn’t want common checkups for air stress and prevents accidents generated by flat tires, Hankook mentioned.
“i-Flex is appropriate for autonomous driving autos as a result of its distinctive prototype is designed for a most floor airplane,” a Hankook consultant mentioned.
“The brand new product has already gained clients, because it was used for Hyundai Motor’s newest robotics mobility platform, known as Plug & Drive module.”
The module from Hyundai is an all-in-one mobility answer, which brings collectively clever steering, braking, in-wheel electrical drive and suspension {hardware}.
Hankook Tire has developed non-pneumatic tire applied sciences over the previous decade, which gave rise to i-Flex.
Specialists say that related merchandise will comply with go well with.
“We didn’t beforehand suppose that tires don’t require air. However in truth, airless tires might be a lot safer than current ones that want air stress,” Daelim College automotive Professor Kim Pil-soo advised UPI Information Korea.
“According to different automotive improvements like electrical autos and driverless automobiles, increasingly unprecedented applied sciences are to reach sooner or later,” he mentioned.
Many new auto improvements are being rolled out together with the annual shopper electronics present, which runs by way of Friday.
Amongst them: A Japanese firm is displaying a flying racecar. BMW showcased its color-changing exterior paint. Mercedes and Chrysler unveiled new electrical idea automobiles.
Amongst different CES information from Korean corporations, Samsung unveiled a TV that lets customers commerce non-fungible tokens. And Hyundai touted its plan to convey robotics into the metaverse.