Silver Vehicle Parts, Auto Accessories and Care Products Design · 2020
T Razr Transformative Tyre
- A' Design Award 2020 Silver Winner in Vehicle Parts, Auto Accessories and Care Products Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Maxxis International Co., Ltd./ Cheng Shin Rubber Ind. Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 84,741
- Verification code 67CA45DD2F · Verify this award
About T Razr Transformative Tyre
In the near future, the booming of electric transportation development is at the door. As a car part manufacturer, Maxxis keeps thinking how it can design a feasible smart system that can participate in this trend and even help accelerate it. T Razr is a smart tire developed for the need. Its built-in sensors actively detect different driving conditions and provide active signals to transform the tire. The magnified treads stretch and change the contact area in response to the signal, therefore improve the traction performance.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- T Razr is a tyre developed for actively detecting different driving conditions and providing active signals to transform the contact area of the tyre in order to improve traction performance.
The sport mode is designed for providing extra control ability on the tyres for the drivers to cope with unexpected road conditions whereas the charging function providing electricity the tyres need for transforming. - Dimensions & Packaging
- 656mm x 240mm x 656mm
- Tags
- Concept, tire, tyre, future design, concept tire
- Production Technology
- T Razr is a tyre with built in sensors and double tread structure.
In both treads there embedded structures which can be magnified once they are electrified.
During sport mode, sensors detect different driving conditions and automatically send out signal to magnetize the structure embedded in inner treads to create repulsion in order to increase bigger contact area on the outside tread and therefore improve handing ability.
During comfort mode as well as charging mode, the inner treads continuously make contact with each other and therefore generate electricity. - Design Challenge
- When it comes to designing a tire which aims at going into production line, any modifications on structures have to be practical. Safety issue becomes very critical in this case. The challenge is to maintain the overall performance as well as the strength while trying to reduce weight on rim structure.
We are looking for a solution while the embedded structure in tread can be the additional support to the tire and the hollowed rim structure can lighten the weight.
The goal is to design a solution with a reasonable price to be the daily help of our target users. - Project Duration
- The project started in 2018 in Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- The changing of tire contact area: While being electromagnetic, the aspect ratio will be changed, causing the changing of the profile.
The changed profile allows the patterns on the sidewall to become part of the pattern on the tread. Therefore, it changes the traction performance.
The fans: The fans on the rim slide open when inner tread is transforming in order to increase air resistance when the car is doing acceleration, deceleration, braking and cornering.The opened fan can also cool down the brake disk by letting air go through the rim.
When the fan is sealed, it is for better reducing air resistance coefficient. - Research
- The sensors built inside the tire is a developing project in Maxxis.
With the G-sensor, we are able to keep tracks of the driving status of the driver.
In one example, while the vehicle is starting, the G-sensor senses a forward force and then transforms the profile to enhance traction force.
In another example, while the car is making a right turn, the G-sensor senses a centrifugal force toward left and then transforms only single side of the profile to cope with the cornering situation. - Inspiration
- In previous studies, we found a group of users who live in the urban areas, who commute and run errands by cars every day, and they all have families to take care of. Therefore, safety issue is a huge concern for them.
Colors of T Razr Transformative Tyre
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G0E8 ShopDesign Interview about T Razr Transformative Tyre
The main inspiration came from the user research we did on drivers. The requirements on the tires while driving are obvious, the more contact area provided by the tires, the safer it will be. Among all the methods of changing the contact area on tires, we would go for the solution that has a bigger opportunity of going into production line. In the manufacturer`s point of view, our idea is to be able to use the existing machines to manufacture the new concept design. Therefore, it is the most effective way for the company.
We want to provide the drivers with a much safer driving experience. By actively analyze the driving status, the drives do not need to worry much about the settings of the transformative tire. The tire changes only under necessary conditions, and it`s totally automatic.
We will continually working on the technical issue of T Razr, hoping the design will one day be realized and be seen on the market.
Mostly one to two years.
Upon seeing the technologies of setting sensors inside tires become more mature, we thought the idea of realizing T Razr cannot be more practical. That is the reason why we decided to make the design.
We intent to produce T Razr ourselves.
We have been working on sensors studies and tread design for years, so we try to do a combination of both researches and the result was T Razr.
The target users estimated to be general drivers five to ten years from now.
This is a very practical and producible concept tire, apart from other similar concepts.
There is a family of tires that is good for their controlling performance that named by Razr in our brand. And “T”stands for transformative. This is how T Razr got its name from.
We used tools like AutoCAD , Rhino and Adobe.
The contact area of T Razr can be changed into different sizes according to different driving conditions.
We worked with sales to gain insights from the users` end, and we worked with technique team when we had problems realizing the transformative structure.
The core of T Razr is the sensors embedded inside the tread. The sensors receive and respond to the signals, and then transform the tread to deal with different driving conditions.
We have studied sensor technology, electromagnetic, electrophorus and aerohydrodynamic during the designing of T Razr.
Safety issue is very important when it comes to designing car parts like tires. Tires are also products that have relatively long usage hours. The high temperature and continually movement both make the environment inside tires critical for sensors to be installed. We have put a lot of effort on finding ways to maintain the function of the sensors while the cars are running.
We think it is a very good chance to elevate the design ability in the team. Once awarded, it is also a good chance for the world to see the brand.
We try to solve every obstacle we have encountered during the whole design process.