The air-filled or pneumatic tire consists of a core filled with airtight sealed pressurized air. Normally, a reinforced steel belted tread or other materials, seals this inner core and provides the contact part with the road.
Since the pressure of the air within the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with a vehicles' weight resting on it. The air pressure in the tire gives resistance against forces which try to deform the tire. When the tire hits bumps in the road, this gives the tire a slight degree of a cushioning effect. If you have experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you understand exactly how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires makes.
Surely, there are several drawbacks to pneumatic tires. Like for instance in highly dangerous applications or high-performance situations, these tires can suffer a puncture and this will lead to a total failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can result in a serious car accident. Military planners must take into consideration tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or shooting of guns. A vehicle crew's worst nightmare is becoming trapped within a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires evidently don't suffer from these problems and thus, in some applications, may be more suitable.
The pneumatic tire might have issues as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure inside a tire could increase the comfort level and the traction. This is because of the fact that tires flatten a little and more tread is touching the road. The pressure of the air inside of the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Thus, reduced air pressure enables the tires' sidewalls to flex. This results in poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
There are other issues with air pressure. Consumers are notoriously unreliable when it comes to maintaining proper air pressure. Tires that have incorrect air pressure could result in unsafe situations. It is vital to note that pneumatic tires are also susceptible to temperature changes, that could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is vital to take into consideration the type of environments you would be requiring your machine to function in so that you can frequently inspect the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.