The pneumatic tire or air-filled 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 area with the road.
As the air pressure inside the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with the weight of the vehicle resting on it. The pressure of the air in the tire provides resistance against forces that attempt 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 experienced taking a ride in an old-fashioned carriage which had wooden wheels, you understand precisely how big of a difference a set of pneumatic tires could make.
Of course, there are several drawbacks to pneumatic tires. For instance in high-performance situations or highly dangerous applications, these tires can suffer a puncture and this would lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds could lead to a serious car accident. Military planners should take into consideration tires getting blown out by explosion shrapnel or shooting of guns. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped within a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these kind of issues and thus, in some applications, could be more suitable.
Pneumatic tires have another issue involving variations in tire performance and air pressure. Lower tire pressure could create improved traction and increased comfort. This is due to the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is touching the road. The pressure of the air in the tire works to maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire as well as maintain the "up and down" stiffness. Hence, reduced air pressure allows the tires' sidewalls to flex. This results in poor handling unfortunately. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other issues also. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, consumers are notoriously unreliable. Wrong air pressure in tires can result in really unsafe situations. It is very important to bear in mind that pneumatic tires are also prone to temperature changes, which could be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is vital to consider the type of environments you would be requiring your equipment to function in so that you could frequently inspect the tires and keep the machine as safe as possible.