Unless you’ve got a crystal ball, it’s difficult to predict exactly how technology will continue to evolve in the future. But one Arizona man thinks he might have a peek into it after seeing a Robotire take factory wheels off of a vehicle. Is this a fad or the future of the automotive industry?
TikTok user STW Direct (@stwdirect) is the account for a tire wholesale business based in Lincolnton, North Carolina. The creator behind the account posted a video three days ago from a Discount Tire in Fountain Hills, Arizona. “All right, this is a robot that takes factory sized tires off of vehicles,” he says to start the video.
The camera shows a tire shop with a large green platform. On either side of the platform are two robotic arms that appear capable of attaching to and removing wheels. “So this system right here is called Robotire,” he explains. “What it is is it’s in beta right now to give them data on how it takes wheels and tires off vehicles.”
What is Robotire and what does it do?
The TikToker notes that all the robot does currently is remove the tires from the vehicle. “It doesn’t change them or anything like that,” he says. “So this thing is pre-programmed for 1,000 vehicles. To do just factory wheels. It’s not for after-market wheels. It knows exactly what lug nut size and everything to take those tires off.”
Consequently, this makes the TikToker wonder what tire shops will look like in the decades ahead. “So you tell me. Is this going to be the future of tire changing? Or are we still going to have guys changing the tires? Is it going to be robots or people?”
First, the TikToker offers his own opinion. “Personally, I think more than likely you’re still going to have people, but you may have this taking your wheels and tires off the vehicles. But only the future’s going to know. And that’s pretty dope to have robots taking your wheels and tires off your cars.”
Viewers guess what tire shops will look like in the future
The video has amassed more than 229,000 views as of Wednesday morning. In the comments, users weighed in on the future of Robotire.
One user wrote, “I wanna see it do a Ford Fusion with the swollen lug nuts.”
A second user agreed, “It won’t work with Ford’s swollen lug nuts.”
The Ford swollen lug nut phenomenon is actually a real thing that Car and Driver addressed back in 2017. Due to perhaps a manufacturing problem, the lug nuts swell and then become difficult or even impossible to remove.
Additionally, other users joked that the robot will probably get as tired of the task as humans do. “I want to see how they act when they can’t find the wheel lock key,” wrote one user.
“Who’s driving it on the rack? Who’s fixing the machine?” asked one user. “That thing can kick rocks.”
Robotire advertises itself as the “next-gen automated tire changing” robot that will change tires twice as fast as a human using AI. In fact, it is supposed to help free up the technicians so they can perform other tasks. Unfortunately, STW Direct wasn’t able to get a demonstration on camera, but you can see several on YouTube.
@stwdirect Robot tire changer #robot #tires ♬ original sound – STW Direct ™️
The Daily Dot reached out to STW Direct via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also reached out to Robotire via press email.
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