An air-filled or pneumatic tire is composed on an inner core that is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Usually, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact part with the road.
The tire will remain inflated with all the weight of the vehicle resting on it, as the air pressure in the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure. The pressure of the air inside the tire gives resistance against forces which attempt to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect when the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage that had wooden wheels, you know how huge of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with drawbacks. Highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations for instance, these tires could suffer a puncture and this will result in a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could lead to a serious car crash. Military planners have to consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or gunfire. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped within a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these problems and therefore, in some applications, may be more suitable.
The pneumatic tire might have issues as well with the variation in tire performance and air pressure. The lower pressure inside a tire may increase the comfort level and the traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is touching the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Thus, less air pressure allows the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this results in poor handling. In an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other issues too. When it comes to maintaining proper air pressure, customers are notoriously undependable. Incorrect air pressure in tires can lead to really dangerous situations. It is really vital to keep in mind that pneumatic tires are also susceptible to temperature changes, which can be responsible for changing the internal pressure of the tire. It is really essential to take into consideration the type of environments you would be requiring your machine to function in so that you could regularly inspect the tires and keep the equipment as safe as possible.