Would there be any advantage to using spherical wheels as opposed to tradition ones?
Pic related
Besides god like self parking abilities, probably not.
>>13856487
you wouldn't have to be dagumi to go sideways
>>13856487
omnidirectional movement
>>13856487
No. Tiny tiny contact patch. You'd have no grip at all.
>>13856487
Just directional change and it would look cool as fuck, not practical though
>>13856515
>You'd have no grip at all.
Depends on the friction level between the rubber pieces on the sphere and the tarmac itself.
>>13856605
Friction is directly proportional to contact patch size
if its totally spherical then unless its made out of ultra soft rubber the contact patch will be the size of maybe a coaster
if it is made out of ultra soft rubber it'll be good for like 2500 miles tops
>>13856630
>>13856515
Technology can make the spheres collapse on the bottom, improving contact.
>>13856646
wouldn't that just create a shit load of friction and heat
>>13856657
well, friction is kinda what you want from a tire unless you drive a Prius
>>13856665
why dont you underinflate your tires for more friction?
>>13856820
people do that in drag racing
>>13856487
no, traction would be dog shit because there would be such a little contact patch
>>13856820
tire wear
>>13856820
people do this for certain situations
Speed racer style driving
>>13856887
tire wear is caused by friction
>>13856820
reduces fuel economy
THEYRE SPHERICAL
SPHERICAL!
>>13856630
This... this isn't true.
F(friction) = N(normalForce) x u(friction coeef).
Area is not in there. Only force on the rubber and the coefficient of it and asphalt. Softer compound means u is higher.
The only reason it matters is because slipping will literally rip bits of rubber off your tire, and that ripping means you "slip". A bigger contact patch means it needs to "rip" more surface, which wont rip as easily. That's why dragsters use big tires: let's them use a softer compound without shredding them.
So to answer the question: Spheres would be fine, so long as the rubber could withstand the shearing on a tiny patch. Or just underinflate them, bigger patch, more shear surface, better max grip.
My question would be: how do we power them? Literal magnets?
>>13857124
I was wondering how they would work as well. A conventional steering rack would lose all of the benefits of the sphere, and so would conventional suspension systems. We would either need to invent a very complicated suspension system (and the way I'm imagining it would be very heavy) or magnets
>>13857165
fuckin' magnets, man
>>13857165
could have a couple of rollers within the wheel well that contact the tire, similar to how a ball mouse works? Suspension would be tricky though, and the rollers would wear on the tire since they can't always be working in the same direction.
>>13857165
Maybe use a magnetic sphere as "wheel" and put some electrical coils around it so it acts as a huge electric motor that can turn the sphere in two directions instead of around a single axis?
>>13856487
hows the lather? does it rinse clean??
