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 WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) - A team of mechanical engineers funded by the Pentagon has an idea for saving the lives of troops in Iraq: An airless tire that won't go flat if shot or hit by shrapnel from a roadside bomb.
The tires, which are still under development at Resilient Technologies, are filled with compressed polymers, or plastic, instead of compressed air. The tension of the plastic provides strength, allowing them to work just like air-filled tires, said Ali Manesh, the company's chief technology officer.
The idea isn't entirely new, but Manesh is convinced he's found ways to overcome problems that have plagued other airless tires — such as dissipating the heat buildup that occurs when they're driven. A handmade prototype has already been built, he said.
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