Living in congested cities can be a drag, especially for motorists, who not only have to deal with constant traffic, but with parking too.
However, a Canadian inventor named William Liddiard may have come up with a solution, in the form of omni-directional wheels, an idea that has been around in one form or another for several years now, even if most consumers aren’t aware of it.
Liddiard demonstrated how his revolutionary wheels work by fitting them to an old Toyota Echo, which was more than eager to spin around in driveway, showcar style. The inventor gave some pointers and admitted that he had to improvise a lot before getting the system to function.
“Unlike other omni capable wheels, my wheels do not require the vehicle to be built around them. This is a world first bolt-on application for anything with wheels“, Liddiard said. “Designed to be used in all weather and road conditions, they are stronger, faster and more accurately controlled than prior art. They can take a beating. The tires can have the same build characteristics as regular tires and you can drive in all directions, and turn on the spot when needed.“
Don’t expect to find Liddiard’s tires in your local shop anytime soon because these are nothing more than prototypes for the time being, but he did admit a few months ago that he hopes to sell the design to a company like Goodyear or Honda, according to LFPress.
As for the technical specs, while he originally stated that they deliver a staggering 24,000 pounds of torque “directly on the tires“, which is significantly more torque than a tank has to offer, he laater admitted in a comment that it was a mistake. Since the revolutionary wheels have made the vehicle significantly slower, Liddiard said that the final product will have to use a lower gear ratio: “fast speeds are definitely possible.”
H/T To TheVerge!