ARWIMS |
Marine industry: Pleasure boats, rescue vessels, and military amphibious vehicles.
Automotive: Off-road vehicles, SUVs, and emergency response vehicles.
Agriculture: Tractors and irrigation vehicles.
Construction: Construction machinery and material transport vehicles.
Recreation and sports: Amphibious recreational vehicles and ATVs.
Military: Combat vehicles and transportable heavy equipment.
Toys: Remote-controlled models of all types of land and water vehicles.
You may view a few examples by clicking here.
The ARWIMS innovation revolutionizes global river logistics by enabling navigation on previously unnavigable waterways.
Using amphibious vehicles with retractable paddle wheels, ARWIMS allows heavy transport to operate on shallow, unstable, or undeveloped rivers without dredging or heavy infrastructure.
This technology reduces logistics costs by up to 60% compared to road transport, cuts CO2 emissions by 4-6 times, and creates local jobs in shipbuilding, maintenance, and operations.
It unlocks millions of kilometers of secondary rivers across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and beyond, facilitating trade in agriculture, mining, and manufactured goods.
Potential fluvial corridors are estimated 5-15% of road freight could shift to ARWIMS within 20 years, and projects a market worth - 18.5-39 billion annually by 2045.
Case studies (Amazon, Ganges, Sahel, Mississippi) highlight benefits like rural access, reduced road congestion, and lower emissions.
ARWIMS supports sustainable development, territorial inclusion, and low-carbon logistics, with recommendations for governments, investors, and multilateral institutions to integrate it into national and climate plans.
This technology is currently being tested with functional mock-ups, and the engineering teams of potential partners who have studied it tell us they see no difficulty in moving to mass production.
Contrary to what some might have initially thought, the deployment of paddles within the tire does not support the weight of the vehicle, since deployment only occurs when the tire is on a non-resistant surface, such as water or mud. A slight elastic spring then pushes the paddles outward, and they retract inside the tire as soon as an obstacle resists this elastic spring. The mechanism is therefore very simple and lightweight.
Retractable paddles technology is not mechanically complicated and will therefore remain very inexpensive. It will therefore not be reserved for specific applications (military, rescue, exploration) but could, on the contrary, become widely available.
Please read the technical description at 2025-05-20_ARWIMS_presentation.pdf.
Of course, because the housings of the retractable paddles can be attached only to the tread and not hinder its deformation.
Originally, the project was made for airless tires, which allow the paddles to be placed between the elastic connections between the wheel hub and the tread, but we quickly found ways to use inflated tires.
The mechanical means for releasing the paddles are in this case soft, for example a cable or a pusher in a sheath.
This question only concerns tires with paddles that are deployed in only part of the cycle, and not the "smart" tires that should remain balanced in all circumstances.
The speed limit can be increased by reducing the weight of the paddles and their mechanical parts, which can also be very light in relation to the wheel’s weight of the wheel because the force required to deploy and retract them is low, as these movements occur before and after ground contact.
The tire casing structure must be adapted.
One solution may be to place a circular reinforcement in the median plane and on the sides of the tread, and radial and diagonal cables crossing over this reinforcement. This allows for areas without reinforcement where recesses for paddles deployment can be accommodated.
Solving this problem also makes it possible to use the paddles to turn airplane wheels before landing, saving rubber and eliminating the need for regular runway stripping. This issue is even more critical in this case due to the high forces on the tire carcass during braking.
Yes! for the following reasons
Cost-effectiveness: ARWIMS technology is less expensive to produce and maintain compared to tracked systems, which are known for their high acquisition and maintenance costs.
Versatility: ARWIMS wheels can adapt to various terrains and conditions, including water, providing functionality similar to tracks but with added amphibious capabilities.
Energy efficiency: ARWIMS wheels offer superior energy efficiency compared to tracks, potentially leading to significant fuel savings.
Durability: The ARWIMS system is designed to be more resistant to wear and tear, reducing the need for frequent replacements and maintenance.
Compatibility: ARWIMS technology can be integrated into existing wheel-based vehicles, making the transition easier for manufacturers and users.
Performance: The adaptive nature of ARWIMS wheels allows for optimized performance across different environments, potentially surpassing the capabilities of traditional tracks in many scenarios.
Weight reduction: ARWIMS wheels are likely lighter than tracked systems, improving overall vehicle performance and fuel efficiency.
These advantages position ARWIMS as a compelling alternative to tracked systems, potentially leading to their widespread adoption across various industries and applications.
ARWIMS technologies are protected by WO2025141280 with an April 19. 2024 first priority date, and by additional patent applications filed since. A non official translation in English of this first PCT application may be downloaded from this link.
A very extensive prior art search has been carried out, which leads to the belief that the solutions described will be considered novel and inventive.
Early publication was decided to protect our competitive position, prevent others from patenting similar inventions, and support business development activities.
Is it allowed to design vehicles using ARWIMS technologies and publish them online without our permission?YES! The mere creation or publication of drawings or graphic representations of an object incorporating a patented invention does not, in itself, constitute patent infringement, as long as these activities are not accompanied by manufacturing, using, offering for sale, or commercializing the protected invention. You should, however, ensure that you do not encourage others to manufacture or commercialize the patented invention without our authorization. We therefore encourage designers to imagine drawings or concepts of vehicles implementing our technical innovations, and we recommend they use the hashtag #ARWIMS so the public can easily find them on social platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter (X), Pinterest, or LinkedIn. We would be pleased if you could share your publications with us and allow us to discuss them with manufacturers who are considering manufacturing wheels under license from our technologies or vehicles as part of partnership agreements. We will even go as far as to publish your creations on our website if you grant us permission! |
Licenses will be granted for wheels and tires where equipped vehicles do not have the necessary means to use the technology (some dynamic tread adaptation), but cooperation agreements will be offered for vehicles specifically designed to integrate these innovations.and for vehicles themselves in the opposite case (most retractable paddle wheels systems).
There will therefore be licenses for wheels or tires that could be segmented according to architecture (dynamic tread adaptation or retactable paddle wheels), vehicle weight, material (e.g. rubber or plastics) or intended use.
Coopération agreements will be available for specifically defined land and/or water and/or air vehicles, as well as for toys.
We aim to secure a long-term partner who will work with us to organize these licenses globally and advance the technology.
The idea for ARWIMS came from a practical observation: every year, many vehicles, especially military ones, get stuck in the mud, particularly during the "rasputitsa" season in Eastern Europe. Faced with this recurring challenge, I wondered if there was a technical solution to improve mobility in such extreme conditions.
This led to the concept of retractable devices on the wheels that could increase lift on soft terrain while remaining compatible with road use. Recent advances in tire technology, especially airless tires, made this approach feasible.
After numerous tests and prototypes, it became clear that simplicity and durability would be key to making this solution viable for industrial application. A thorough patent search confirmed the novelty of the idea, encouraging us to continue development in collaboration with experts and through discussions with manufacturers and future users of the technology.
Today, several options are possible for the future: this could become a new industrial venture through partnerships or licensing, or find other forms of development depending on the opportunities that arise. My goal remains to contribute practical solutions to mobility challenges, with pragmatism and discretion.
Franck Guigan - the inventor of this technology - was born in 1947 and has created numerous companies. He also was an investment banker and the CEO of two European industrial groups. His biography is available at www.arwims.com/fg-bio.htm.