Wheel

Hankook's R&D department has been working with biorobotics experts from Seoul National University and Harvard engineers on a weird transforming origami wheel project. These folding oddities can drastically alter their diameter and carry heavy loads.

The company that first patented the tubeless tire is thrusting forth into the future with a "rechargeable" concept wheel that lets you add extra tire tread by popping a capsule into the center of the hub, which then extrudes it out to the surface.

Ford seems to believe theft of fancy alloy wheels is on the rise thanks to improved security systems that make it harder to steal whole cars. So it's working on creating anti-theft wheel nuts, each individually 3D printed for the car owner.

​Although Teslas may get a lot of attention, many EVs are actually small cars designed solely for urban use, made by struggling startup companies. A new wheel module could help increase the economic viability of building such vehicles, by simplifying the design and production processes.

​In a demonstration of what could be commercially possible within the near future, HRE Wheels recently teamed up with GE Additive’s AddWorks team to create the first-ever titanium wheel to be 3D-printed via Electron Beam Melting. The process is said to be more efficient than traditional machining.

​If you're looking at converting your standard bicycle into an e-bike, there are now several makes of powered front wheels to choose from. You might want to hold off on making your choice, though, as the crowdfunding campaign for yet another – the EvoWheel – is starting this week.

This airless tire has some interesting advantages. Air Suspension Wheels can't go flat or get punctures, you can change treads with a spanner and no jacks, and they offer some interesting dynamic capabilities that could see them being very useful in large mining applications and even wheelchairs.

The Revolve wheel folds to a third of its diameter and back in an instant, yet provides a safe, stable, full-size 26-inch wheel for a folding bicycle or wheelchair. Announced this week in Munich, the Revolve will enable a renaissance in folding vehicle design

​It was back in 2009 that we first heard about the Copenhagen Wheel, a motor-equipped rear bicycle wheel that could turn an existing bicycle into an e-bike. The years since saw some delays, but as of this April it finally became commercially available. We recently tried the wheel out for ourselves.

​​Of all the cycling gadgets we've had the chance to test, the GeoOrbital Wheel has got to be one of the most fascinating. It's an electric front wheel that instantly converts your existing bike into an e-bike, and it looks like it belongs in the upcoming Blade Runner sequel.

​Hill-climbing may be a great workout for cyclists, but, well … not everyone has a hilly road nearby. That's why Australian cyclist Michael Freiberg created the AIRhub. Sold as a complete front wheel, its hub incorporates an electromagnetic brake that creates up to 100 watts of resistance.

​Why buy an e-bike, when you can just replace your regular bike's front wheel with one that has an electric motor? That's the thinking behind recent products such as the Omni Wheel and Electron Wheel. UrbanX has now also thrown its hat in the ring, with its lightweight Eco and Booster wheels.