If you think of it, your legs are the perfect transportation medium. Aside from the fact that they run on your energy, your legs can actually conquer any terrain. They can go up and down inclined surfaces just fine, can walk with relatively the same speed on pebbles, gravel, concrete, sand, and mud. Take that logic and bring it to the wheel and you’ve got the Dandelion, a low-maintenance tire concept that uses 72 independent legs/pins attached to a rotating hub to work efficiently on any sort of terrain. The pins compress inwards when pressure is applied, allowing the tire to flex and bend in a variety of ways depending on how rough the surface beneath it is. “By enabling increased ground contact, the tyre performs well even on rough roads and in off-road environments and requires almost no maintenance, maximising a vehicle’s operating capability”, say the designers behind the wheel’s unusual form.

The individual pins move up and down independently, allowing for more surface area to be in contact with the ground, multiplying the car’s efficiency. This makes the car relatively safer too, escaping the chances of a punctured or blown-out tire. The individual pins/legs are detachable and can be replaced when broken, making it lower maintenance than current tires that need to be painstakingly patched when punctured, or thrown away when worn out.

The Dandelion is a winner of the Red Dot Design Concept Award for the year 2019.

Designer: NEXEN Tire