Mar 7, 2018 | By Tess

It’s that time of year again: time for Goodyear to unveil its latest concept tire. This year’s design, called the Oxygene Tire, brings together organic life, 3D printing, and AI for what could very well be the most innovative and eco-friendly concept tire we’ve seen to date.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has been making vehicle tires for over 100 years, but that doesn’t mean it’s stuck in the past. Last year, the company wowed us with its idea for a spherical smart tire called the Eagle 360 Urban. The futuristic tire was reportedly the first concept tire to suggest the use of artificial intelligence.

And while the new Oxygene tire concept can’t claim that first, it has got to be the first tire to integrate live moss into its design.

The idea behind the new concept was to design an eco-friendly tire that would actually contribute to improving air quality. By planting moss inside the entire sidewall of the Oxygene tire, Goodyear says that these tires of the future will help to clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and emitting oxygen. You know, photosynthesis.

Aside from being partially plant-based, the innovative concept tire also integrates a number of notable features. For example, the design includes moisture-absorbing treads which not only help to provide grip on wet ground but also draw up water from the street and distribute it to the moss. Goodyear reckons that if 2.5 million vehicles drove around with the Oxygene tires in a city as populated and busy as Paris, the tires would be responsible for absorbing over 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide and emitting 3,000 tons of oxygen per year.

In line with the eco-friendly philosophy behind the Oxygene’s design, the futuristic tire is also constructed from recycled tires. As Goodyear explains, the tire—which is non-pneumatic—would be 3D printed from a fine rubber powder derived from recycled tires.

The 3D printed tire boasts a lightweight construction, shock-absorbing properties, and is puncture-resistant (because it is not filled with air). This last feature, says Goodyear, will enable drivers to benefit from a longer-lasting tire life and less servicing.

Goodyear says the AI-powered tire would also be capable of generating enough power through the photosynthesis process to keep its sensors, AI processing unit, and a customizable light strip up and running. The light strip, which is located in the tire’s sidewall, changes colors to alert drivers and pedestrians of the car’s movement—a kind of futuristic blinker.

One of the coolest aspects of the concept tire, however, is its visible light communications system (LiFi), which enables the tire to connect to other vehicles (V2V), road infrastructures (V2I), and IoT data exchange points at the speed of light. This high-powered connectivity system could help to improve road safety and improve driving efficiency.

The Oxygene concept tire was recently presented at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, where alarming statistics about urban air pollution were a hot topic.

“Like the concept designs Goodyear has presented at Geneva in the past, Oxygene is meant to challenge our thinking and help drive the debate around smart, safe, and sustainable future mobility,” said Chris Delaney, president of Goodyear Europe, Middle East and Africa. “By contributing in this way to cleaner air generation, the tire could help enhance quality of life and health for city-dwellers.”

“With more than two-thirds of the world population expected to live in cities by 2050, the demands on transport networks in urban environments will increase substantially,” Delaney added. “Smarter, greener infrastructure and transport will be crucial in addressing the most pressing challenges of urban mobility and development.”

We're pretty skeptical about this ever hitting the road, but we'd love to be proved wrong. Check out the video of the 3D printed Oxygene concept tire to learn more about Goodyear’s vision for future driving:

 

 

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