The American company Smart Tire Company has unveiled a bicycle wheel designed using NASA technologies. The development was named METL.
It is known that a tire is composed of a nickel-titanium alloy, which is as elastic as rubber and as strong as titanium. In addition, the innovative “blend” has a shape memory that allows the wheel to resist deformation and absorb impacts without fear of puncture. The same technology is used by NASA engineers to increase the stability of lunar and Martian rovers. After all, as you know, there are no roads on Mars, and the temperature on the planets can reach -200 ° C.
In addition to technical advantages, the new tire also has environmental benefits. Thus, the SMART company stated that the use of nitinol will do much less harm to the outside world than existing technologies. For reference, the modern tire industry produces over 25 million tons of toxic waste annually.
The design of space tires is still under wraps. The new wheel is known to consist of a high profile rim and mesh instead of a tire. The mesh is formed by two types of wire: transverse rods with a large bending radius and longitudinal ones, which are twisted around the transverse ones.
It should be noted that METL tires are not suitable for every rider. After all, they are made of metal, which will make them weigh much heavier than existing bicycles. However, despite this fact, the company stated that the new vehicles will be competitive with many existing ones. As proof of this, Smart Tire Company talked about a new rubber material, polyurethane, that will improve the bike’s grip in all weather conditions.
Titanium tire technology has been tested for over seven years in NASA’s Glenn Laboratory. Several million dollars were spent on its development. Smart is currently testing tires on Felt bikes. The manufacturer hopes that this development will change the behavior of vehicles on the road and open up new transportation options around the world.
Melt tires should appear on the international market already from the beginning of 2022. At the moment, nothing is known about the pricing policy. However, it is not difficult to assume that the cost of space tires will be quite cosmic.
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