By Denna Bowman
A US inventor is developing a robot which would be programmed to check whether a vehicle’s tyres were properly inflated and correct under or over-inflation.
The robot, which would also be able to detect the tyres had the right amount of tread and detect a slow puncture, would be situated in an “Airstations” ideally located in garages.
Dallas-based inventor George Carter said: “Even if someone realises their tyres are low, 75 percent of people don’t know how to determine the proper pressure – if they can even find an air pump.”
Low air pressure is the most common factor in US tyre failures, contributing to 660 fatalities and 33,000 injuries annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Carter’s Airstations would allow motorists to have their vehicle tyres checked by four robotic arms. Vehicles would probably need to be registered in advance with the Airstations so their tyre information would be in the database.
“First, it’s absolutely got to be convenient,” Carter said. “But properly inflated tyres will also improve your fuel economy by 1 percent.”