Have you ever seen a truck rolling around on balloon tires this big? This 1953 British Pathé newsreel introduces us to the Rolligon, and gives the impression that it's a vehicle. But the name Rolligon actually refer to the tires that make this vehicle special. Inventor William Albee designed the tires after watching the Inuit roll heavy boats on inflated seal hides. Rolligon tires only need pressure of about seven psi because there are a lot of square inches on tires that are five to nine feet wide. They are great for rolling over soft terrain, no matter how uneven it is, and they do very little damage to plants and animals in their way. Rolligon tires never made much headway with the military because these vehicles can't go fast enough. As far as consumer use, well, any vehicle using them would be too high to easily get in and out of, and too wide for standard lanes. But they are being used today, in the oilfields of Canada and Alaska. See a modern truck on Rolligon tires here. -via Nag on the Lake
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