If you’ve walked across a college campus or down a city sidewalk recently, you might’ve spotted a small, boxy robot zipping past with groceries, takeout, or packages in tow. These autonomous delivery bots, like those from Starship Technologies, are becoming part of everyday life—but keeping them running smoothly around the clock is no small feat. One surprisingly stubborn issue? Tires.
Traditional air-filled rubber tires have been what cars have used for decades. They give a decent amount of traction and a smooth ride, but are also prone to flats. To a human driver, a flat is an annoyance. But to an autonomous robot? A full stop. Each flat necessitates someone going to retrieve and repair the robot, squandering time, money, and productivity.
Goodyear, one of the most recognizable names in tire history, saw a chance to fix this problem in a way that would change the game for self-driving delivery. Their solution? Airless tires, or non-pneumatic tires (NPTs).
Why Airless Tires Are a Big Deal
Unlike regular tires, Goodyear’s airless design doesn’t use internal air pressure. Instead, it has a web of rigid but flexible spokes within the wheel. The spokes support the form of the tire but also provide just enough flexibility to absorb bumps and uneven road surfaces—without deflation or blowout risk.
Its outer casing is still rugged rubber for grip and traction, but it’s what’s inside that will truly make the difference. This style makes airless tires perfect for delivery robots that are always on the go, running into curbs, gravel, and all the rest.
A Tailored Solution for Starship’s Expanding Fleet
Starship Technologies has over 1,000 autonomous robots serving several cities and campuses around the globe. Those robots travel extensively and encounter all sorts of terrain and weather. That level of wear and tear requires tires that are rugged, dependable, and—preferably—infinitely durable.
Goodyear worked closely with Starship to design an airless tire tailored to these exact needs. As Starship’s mechanical engineering manager, Siim Viilup, put it, reliability is crucial when you’re scaling a fleet of robots that need to be running nearly 24/7.
The collaboration quickly progressed from the drawing board to testing on the ground. At Bowling Green State University, Goodyear and Starship launched a pilot program to test the tires in real-world conditions. The results early on? Extremely promising. The airless tires passed with flying colors on all the important factors such as tread life, ride comfort, braking, and vibration suppression.
Beyond Robots: A Smarter, Greener Tire Future
There’s more at stake here than just keeping delivery bots on schedule. Airless tire technology could also fix a gigantic environmental problem: tire waste. Millions of used tires are dumped into landfills every year. Since airless tires are designed to last longer and won’t get flats, they could significantly cut down on replacements and waste along the way.
Goodyear is far from alone in its wager on this future. Michelin, Hankook, and other competitors are busily developing their airless tires. While there are still technical challenges to be overcome—such as preventing the buildup of debris inside the spokes or for environments in which variable air pressure would be advantageous—the tide is turning.
As more autonomous vehicles and delivery robots hit the roads, the need for durable, low-maintenance components will continue to increase. Goodyear’s collaboration with Starship Technologies demonstrates how a company with over 100 years of heritage can stay forward-looking by innovating for a future that appears quite unorthodox relative to the past.
Airless tires may be a minor footnote in the grand tome of robotics and automation—but in fact, they’re an integral part of the picture. They’re keeping robots rolling, decreasing downtime, shaving maintenance dollars, and moving us toward a greener future. Reinventing the wheel sometimes is just the best thing to do.
