Self-inflatingTire
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Insert Coin: PumpTire self-inflating bicycle tire
In Insert Coin, we look at an exciting new tech project that requires funding before it can hit production. If you'd like to pitch a project, please send us a tip with "Insert Coin" as the subject line. We love tires -- they provide an infinite boost in life to the ever-so-necessary wheel, soften the blow while driving on dirt roads and over potholes, and, upon retirement, serve as an ideal plaything for our children. But there's still something missing. As much as we try to make it not so, our tires let their air supplies trickle away -- albeit at an ever so sluggish pace -- ultimately causing inconvenience, and often with unfortunate timing. A slightly deflated bicycle tire won't have the same damaging effect as, say, a battered donut that explodes as you roll down the highway, but it can still put a serious damper in your ride. The self-inflating PumpTire sets out to make sure you never have to suffer a flat bike tire again, using a unique detachable valve that senses when a tire needs to be inflated, then pumping air from a thin tube on the outside of the tire into the inner tube. PumpTire founder Benjamin Krempel is turning to Kickstarter to fund the project, which includes designing, testing, and manufacturing a pair of self-inflating bike tires. A $75 pledge gets you two City Cruiser tires, a $130 retail value, including a pair of 65 psi valves and inner tubes. If you pledge $100, you'll receive a pair of City Pro high-performance 95 psi tires, which are expected to retail for $150. Krempel has set his funding goal at a massively high $250,000 with just over five weeks remaining. A cool quarter-million is quite the lofty sum, but as always, you'll receive a refund if the project doesn't get the fiscal green light. Jump past the break to see it in action, and for an update on our previous Insert Coin project.
Goodyear's self-inflating tires could improve gas mileage, leave Schrader valves unsatisfied
Reminiscent of Ghostbuster's Marshmallow Man, new Goodyear tires might just Stay-Puft on their own. The company is developing Air Maintenance Technology (AMT) tires with built-in pumps to keep themselves at the perfect pressure. The reason? Even slightly under-inflated tires can drop your mileage by 3.3 percent, costing you cash at the pump. For highway-hustling commercial trucks that's a whole lot of moola, leading the US Department of Energy's Office of Vehicle Technology to grant Goodyear $1.5 million towards self-plumping commercial tire development. For those of us who don't wear mesh hats, Goodyear is working on a consumer version in its Luxembourg lab. It's unclear exactly how they will work, but earlier implementations have a pipe that's compressed as the tire rolls, allowing air to enter the tire without bursting thanks to a pressure sensitive valve. With so much automated car technology now all we need is the kind that cleans out its own trunk and pumps its own gas. Check out the full PR after the break.
