As companies race to develop self-­driving cars, Goodyear is reinventing their wheels. Its spherical concept tire, which debuted in March 2016, allows cars to move in many new ­directions, including sideways into a parallel parking space and at specific angles and speeds to counteract slippery surfaces. This could tackle anticipated parking constrictions of the future, as less space will be needed for cars to pull into parking spots. This could significantly increase the capacity of public parking areas without increasing their size. The multi-orientation tires move in all directions, contributing to passenger safety. The key is magnetic levitation: whereas traditional tires are bolted to cars, the Eagle 360s hover beneath them, free from “the limits of [traditional] steering.” They’re meant for self-­driving cars in the future. Companies such as Uber, Apple, Google and Tesla are all working on self-driving cars - goodyear could be the preferred tire in upcoming autonomous vehicles.