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Reinventing the Wheel
bob zee sent in this link about reinventing the wheel, err, tweel, err, whatever. Wheels are an interesting challenge in engineering design: they need to be hard to be durable, soft for a smooth ride, grippy to grab the road, but smooth to reduce rolling resistance, flexible to absorb shocks, yet stiff to reduce heat build-up, and so on. Rubber tires are a relatively recent invention.
In all fairness, this really isn't reinventing the wheel. The Tweel is still a wheel. They did reinvent the tire though.
Etiquette is etiquette. He kills his mother but he can't wear grey trousers.
Are you an idiot? No, seriously. That was a CUTOUT so you could see what it looks like inside! Do you think any engineer would be so stupid to design a tire like that? If it didn't have a cutout, someone as ignorant as you would proclaim that it looks no different than a typical radial!
A blog like any other.
if the tweels cost 3x as much, there is no saving here
If they last 3x as long (as the article suggests they might) then it balances out, and there is at least a possibility of savings of time from not having to change the tires as often, not to mention the lower volume of scrap material.
You can never go home again... but I guess you can shop there.
In the not too far future, cars will basically be designed like a cheap printer. When it breaks you will just throw it away and buy a new one.
The cars will be made out of mostly composites and plastics. This means that you will need to hire a specialist to do even the most minor repairs.
Every aspect of the car will be electronically controlled and monitored and you will need special equipment to even begin troubleshooting the numerous electrical problems that will crop up. There will be so many electronic controls that if there is an electrical problem; basically it's non-repairable.
Many car manufacturers are planning on sealing up the engine compartment and the engine itself. New super-lubricants are developed to last the 'life' of the car. (Previously on Slashdot)
The Tweel fits into the same category. The major gripes of it are that it incorporates the tire, rim, and hub all into 1 package. When something like this goes mainstream, forget about custom wheels. Right now there is a big market and all sorts of different tires available for the consumer. If there is a specialized product like the tweel, then it would basically be a monopoly.
The pneumatic tire has been around for 100 years and it has been constantly improved for the entire time. There is very little growing room for the tweel.
Current models are heavier than a standard wheel. This increases the rolling mass which makes it harder to accelerate and stop. They will eventually get old and with all the stress they are likely to fail and collapse. Plastics become brittle with age and with all the stress they would be taking will cause them to fail and cause a nasty accident.
The new marketing strategy of the throw-a-way car will claim it's safer and more fuel efficient because of the weight savings. It will eventually lead to having to recycle your car about every 10 years.