from autoindistriya.com

Michelin has released information and the first photos of its Tweel(TM) technology, the fusion of the tire and the wheel. Developed in the U.S. at the company's technology center in Greenville, the non-pneumatic Tweel has the potential to transform the automotive, military, construction and personal mobility industries in the years ahead.

"Major revolutions in mobility may come along only once in a hundred years," said Terry Gettys, president of Michelin Americas Research and Development Center. "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."

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. With 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..... read more from autoindustriya.com