Rolligon is a trademark name for large, low pressure tires, designed to traverse the soft ground surfaces of the

tundra In physical geography, tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. The term ''tundra'' comes through Russian (') from the Kildin Sámi word (') meaning "uplands", "treeless mo ...

. The product was invented by William Albee in 1951, after he had seen

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, ...

using inflated seal hides to drag a heavy boat on shore. Because the weight of the vehicle is spread over a much larger surface compared to conventional tires, the pressure is much lower. This prevents the vehicle from getting stuck, and limits damage to vulnerable plants of the tundra. With a tire pressure of up to , the vehicles can traverse tundra at up to . The vehicles are mainly used in the oil industry in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

and

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

. The trademark is currently owned by

NOV Nov or NOV may refer to: * November, the 11th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars * Nav, Asalem (also , Nov or Nāv), a village in Gilan Province, Iran * Nov, Golan Heights, an Israeli moshav (a cooperative agricultural communi ...

References

External links

Demonstration of Rolligon tires by their inventor
Tires {{automotive-tech-stub