Hankook develops tyre that adopts to road conditions

Hankook has developed a tyre which it claims can “transform its shape in response to road conditions”.

The ‘Transforming Tire’ was developed in collaboration with a research team from Seoul National University (SNU).

It is described as a variable-type tyre that has adopted the structure of “paper folding crafts” to change its shape in response to road conditions.

Hankook says it can be equipped to vehicles that weigh as much as 1,000kg.

The tyre maker first unveiled the Transforming Tire in 2019 as the fourth output of its ‘The Next Driving Lab’ project that is part of Hankook’s commitment to providing an innovative future driving experience.

The Transforming Tire incorporated shape-varying structure technology derived from special paper folding craft techniques that can withstand heavy loads. It was designed to transform into a smaller diameter tyre on the pavement to ensure stability and fast responsiveness while transforming into a larger diameter tyre with tread blocks on unpaved rough roads to ensure high-performance mobility.

This allows drivers to enjoy stable driving on any road condition with a single tyre, according to Hankook.

It adds that the tyre’s diameter can be changed ranging from 450mm to 800mm to withstand load weighing over one-ton.

Hankook says it opens up possibilities for various applications featuring unpredictability and requiring high-performance mobility such as delivery robots and space exploration vehicles.

The tyre maker says further research and development will be carried on to be able to apply the technology to the road cars in the future.

Bonhee Ku, senior vice president and CTO of Hankook Tire & Technology says: “We believe this project represents a synergy between academia with new ideas and a company with industry-leading technology capabilities. The Transforming Tire which has started from a question ‘why should a tyre be in one form?‘ challenged the stereotype and showed the company’s commitment to innovation.

“We expect the developed technology can be highly utilised not only in the tyre industry but also in the mobility service industry as a whole. Hankook Tire will continue to challenge the limits of tires and display our innovative brand values.”