A company called Shark Wheel is aiming to reinvent, well, the wheel. Instead of the conventional circular shape we're all familiar with, this new skateboard wheel is based around a cube shape. While this might seem illogical, the company claims its new wheels ride smoother, faster, and offer better grip than traditional skateboard wheels.
The wheels are based around a shape that fits inside a cube. They aren't quite a square, and aren't quite circular, but are made up of three strips, each of which create a helical shape when they roll. This forms a sine wave pattern where the wheels make contact with the ground.
The creators say this results in less friction points on the ground to allow the wheel to roll faster than a traditional skateboard wheel and also allows for better handling in rough and wet terrain, which causes problems for normal wheels.
The sine wave pattern also grants improved lateral grip, as the width of the wheel is able to be increased without adding any unnecessary friction, and thus, slowing down the board. It also provides three lips for stopping, where a traditional wheel only has one.
Another interesting application of Shark Wheels is the ability to mix different hardnesses in the same wheel. The hardness of a skateboard wheel is measured in terms of durometers, and the three interlocking pieces of this particular wheel allows the rider to choose three different ones in each wheel, which grants extra customization in terms of grip and slide.
Shark Wheel is seeking funding for its interesting new wheel design on Kickstarter and is offering a wide range of options for backers. Buyers looking to add the 70 mm wheels to an existing board can do so for a minimum pledge of $50 while the early bird special lasts. Once those are gone, the required pledge goes up to $55.
The team has already reached its funding goal, so deliveries should start rolling by September 2013.
The Kickstarter pitch below provides more information on the Shark Wheel and shows actual skateboarders trying them out.
Source: Shark Wheel and Kickstarter
Regarding the question to rollerblades, if they are In-line I have my doubts, as you change the angle when you turn, and the contact area would be uneven... causing vibrations. If they run flat I suppose they can be used for other stuff.
Anyway... again, nice idea that could work even if just for the looks of it!
Watch the video and he says he discovered a way to take a set of curved shapes and make a "perfect square". But what he shows is NOT a square at all.
Then he takes that "shape" and applies it to a wheel and comers up with a conventional round wheel that has a tread with a sine wave pattern. Big whoop. He claims all sorts of things, including that it is faster than a regular wheel. I don't believe it.
If anything that sine wave is going to induce lateral vibrations in the wheel and to the skateboard or whatever it's mounted on.
And as for reduced surface contact, sure it may do that. But you don't need a fancy wavy tread pattern to do that. Just make a really narrow wheel. But what's the advantage? You'll have more pressure on the part that contacts the ground and therefore more wear on the wheel.