Spherical wheel/tire assembly

A support assembly for a vehicle travelling along a road surface and rotating relative to the road surface and the vehicle comprising:

• a spherical tread layer for contacting the road surface;
• a foam layer disposed radially inward of the spherical tread layer;
• a magnetic layer disposed radially inward of the foam layer, the magnetic layer including diamagnetic elements for penetrating a magnetic field with an opposed polarity to a permanent magnet of the vehicle;
• and
• a drive system magnetically driving rotation of the magnetic layer relative to the vehicle such that no portion of the spherical tread layer physically contacts the vehicle.

A method for supporting a vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

• travelling along a road surface by the vehicle;
• rotating a spherical tread layer relative to the road surface and the vehicle with the spherical tread layer rolling along the road surface;
• magnetically driving rotation of a magnetic layer relative to the vehicle such that no portion of the spherical tread layer physically contacts the vehicle;
• adjusting an outer contour of the spherical tread layer for improving the contact between the outer contour and the road surface;
• altering a physical shape of an adjustable element radially beneath the spherical tread layer;
• and
• powering alteration of the adjustable element by an energy harvester.