A pneumatic or air-filled tire consists of an inner core which is filled with pressurized air and sealed airtight. Typically, a tread made with reinforced steel belting or other kind of materials, provides the contact area with the road and seals this inner core.
Because the pressure of the air inside the tire is more than atmospheric air pressure, the tire remains inflated even with the weight of the vehicle resting on it. The air pressure inside the tire gives resistance against forces which 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 that had wooden wheels, you understand precisely 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 lead to a complete failure. The consequence of a blowout at high speeds can lead to a serious car crash. Military planners should take into account tires getting blown out by shooting of guns or explosion shrapnel. The worst nightmare of a vehicle crew is becoming trapped in a fire zone due to all of their tires becoming flat. Airless tires obviously don't suffer from these kind of issues and therefore, might be more suitable in some applications.
The pneumatic tire may have problems as well with the variation in air pressure and tire performance. The lower pressure inside a tire may increase the traction and the comfort level. This is because of the fact that tires flatten slightly and more tread is touching the road. The pressure of the air inside of the tire works to maintain the "up and down" stiffness as well as maintain the lateral stiffness of the tire. Hence, less air pressure allows the sidewalls of the tires to flex. Unfortunately, this leads to poor handling. Within an airless tire, the stiffness in those two dimensions is independent.
Air pressure factors into other problems also. With regards to to maintaining correct air pressure, consumers are notoriously unreliable. Improper air pressure in tires can result in really dangerous situations. It is essential to note that pneumatic tires are prone to temperature changes also, which can be responsible for changing the internal tire pressure. It is very important to take into account the kind of environments you will be requiring your equipment to operate in so that you could frequently check the tires and keep the equipment as safe as possible.