We see many innovations in concept cars and prototypes produced with new technologies that we have not yet seen on the roads. Chief among these are the ‘omnidirectional wheels’ that turn in all directions and greatly facilitate parking.
So, why are the wheels that turn in all directions, which will make our lives easier, left on prototypes and concept cars? Why hasn’t it been put into mass production yet, when it should be in every car in traffic?
Cadillac, produced in 1951, was one of the pioneers of this technology…
However, even NASA used this technology 7 years ago.
Mercedes’ concept car AVTR can go left or right without changing the direction of the wheels. (0:32)
Hyundai also announced the e-Corner system at the CES fair and received great acclaim.
However, none of us still encounter such cars in traffic.
There are a few main reasons why we don’t see this technology widely in cars. First, a much more complex system would have to be used to embed such technology into cars. This means extra cost and extra labor. In other words, cars that you can park more easily will be sold much more expensive.
Let’s say that these cars, which many people cannot afford, went into mass production;
First of all, omnidirectional wheels will be much heavier than the standard models we use today. Because inside the wheel there will be a much more complex system. Since the friction force between the wheels and the road with increasing weight will increase in direct proportion, the tires will wear out much more easily. When you want to buy a new tire, the amount you will pay can burn your pocket.
Your car’s traction power will decrease, and it will perform less well on rough roads.
The increase in friction force directly affects the traction power of your vehicle. Heavier wheels, which exert more friction on the ground, will cause you to travel shorter distances with more fuel. As a matter of fact, this is the reason why almost all of the cars we see in the videos are tested on the flat road.
If your tire bursts, it could be a disaster.
Due to the working mechanism of the wheels, it can move forward without stopping until it hits something when it explodes or leaves your vehicle as a result of an accident. This can lead to bigger accidents as well as causing great damage to your vehicle.
Even changing your tire becomes a much more difficult task.
Even carrying a spare tire will be quite difficult, but let’s say you have a spare tire. We mentioned that omnidirectional wheels are heavier. So moving it from place to place and changing your wheel will be very difficult for you and you will probably need to get help from a few more people. However, since the installation of the wheel may require a complex system, even if you collect the whole neighborhood, you may not be able to get out of the job.
Do we really need this technology?
In fact, we don’t need much. After the first emergence of this technology, the automobile industry has developed quite a lot. Autonomous driving and parking systems, cameras added to all sides of the cars, and many technologies that help us to park with warnings to drivers have entered our lives.
It seems that we will not see ‘multidirectional wheels’ in traffic for a while, which has no advantages or even disadvantages other than parking. As a matter of fact, having a small number of cars whose wheels can turn in all directions can also create complexity. For this reason, the ground for this technology should be prepared first, its disadvantages should be eliminated and then it should be taken to traffic. So for now, we will be content with seeing it in concept cars and prototypes.
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