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Flexup Tire Design Good For Tumblebugs
Check out the playful "tumblebug" design at 1'10" in this Designboom video:
(Unusual tire design at 1'15')
The ‘flexup’ design consists of one single wheel which expands and contracts through a principle of divided treads which makes it possible to move freely even when the stairs are encountered. it can also freely turn any corner on flat ground by using a titling technique similar to when skiing.
Fans of Neal Stephenson's excellent 1992 novel Snow Crash remember the cool smart wheels:
On the end is a squat foot, rubber tread on the bottom, swiveling on a ball joint. As the wheel rolls, the feet plant themselves one at a time, almost glomming into one continuous tire...
(Read more about smart wheels)
Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 7/5/2017)
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Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
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