Goodyear airless tires are already being tested on delivery robots

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Although many people have heard of Michelin's airless tires, people may not realize that Goodyear has actually developed such tires as well. What's more, a special version of it has been created for use by delivery robots on the ground. Similar to Michelin tires, Goodyear's airless tires (NPTs) use a thermoplastic internal connection structure instead of an air chamber.

This can be bent under load and at the same time maintains enough hardness to support the weight of the main unit. This is different from the company's previous airless tires developed in cooperation with NASA.

A Goodyear representative told media outlet newatlas that in 2017, NPT was offered as an option for a third-party ride-hailing mower series. While this is no longer the case, last July it successfully tested it on a fleet of autonomous shuttles used by the Jacksonville Transit Authority.

Now, a smaller version of it has been installed in a fleet of autonomous delivery robots used by Goodyear affiliate Starship Technologies. The company wanted to extend the tire life of its six-wheeled robot while reducing maintenance requirements, so it developed this new tire.

While Starship currently operates a network of more than 1,000 robots worldwide, the tire is currently being tested on a small fleet on the campus of Bowling Green State University in Ohio. The test looks promising in terms of factors such as tread wear, braking performance and shock absorption.

Michael Rachita, Senior Project Manager for Goodyear Non-Pneumatic Tires, said: "We are excited to expand our unique airless tire construction to new mobile formats. The miniature conveying space presents a range of different needs as it relates to the tyres, and our NPT technology is ideal for meeting these needs. ”