An air-filled or pneumatic tire consists of an inner core which is sealed airtight and filled with pressurized air. Usually, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other type of materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact area with the road.
Since the air pressure within the tire is greater than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with a vehicles' weight resting on it. The air pressure in the tire provides resistance against forces that try to deform the tire. This gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect as the tire hits bumps in the road. If you have ever taken a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you know how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Pneumatic tires also come with disadvantages. Highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations for instance, these tires can suffer a puncture and this would lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could result in a dangerous car accident. Military planners must consider tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or gunfire. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped in a fire zone because of all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these type of issues and therefore, in certain applications, could be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have one more issue involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure could create increased comfort and improved traction. This is due to the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is placed in contact with the road. The air pressure inside of the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Hence, less air pressure enables the tires' sidewalls to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other problems with air pressure. Customers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to maintaining correct air pressure. Tires that have improper air pressure can result in dangerous situations. It is vital to note that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, which can be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is very vital to consider the kind of environments you will be needing your equipment to function in so that you could inspect the tires regularly and keep the machine as safe as possible.