If you’re one of many who struggles with parallel parking, a Canadian trucker may have just invented a solution.
In the video, the London-Ontario trucker William Liddiard shows how omnidirectional tires that roll inward can make a vehicle glide sideways. There is also an external motor, powered by the car’s battery, to allow the sideways travel. At the flip of a switch, the car can glide at about 1 m.p.h.
This new technology is the result of the trucker’s eight years spent experimenting with the project in a barn. He spent U.S. $61,586 on research and costs of patents.
Liddiard told CNBC:
“I was watching somebody backing up a utility trailer, And they were having a hard time doing it … so that’s how initially I came up with the idea of redesigning the wheel sideways.”
However, Liddiard’s invention isn’t the first of its kind. In 2012, he realized that Honda had already submitted a patent using similar technology. Because of this, Liddiard was forced to improve his design with a second version.
His second version is pending patent approval. It offers a higher weight limit of 24,000 pounds of torque aimed at the times at a much lower price.
Drivers who are anxious to have the technology installed will have to wait until the trucker passes the prototype phase and begins his business.
The trucker commented:
“I would love to see a major corporation pick it up and run with it. They could bring it to market more effectively and quicker than I could, but I’m not going to stop. I’ll keep moving forward with it.”
Liddiard’s proximate cost of his system will total around U.S. $1,541 per tire. He added that the price could change according to the vehicle.