Vehicle and method of controlling the same

1 . A vehicle comprising:

a wheel having a width that is changeable, the wheel comprising an inner wheel connected to an axle of the vehicle and an outer wheel connected to the inner wheel;

a tire attached to the wheel;

a driver interposed between the inner wheel and the outer wheel; and

a controller configured to generate a control signal for changing the width of the wheel, wherein:

the driver is configured to move the outer wheel along a longitudinal direction of the axle of the vehicle to decrease the width of the wheel by generating power in response to the control signal, and

the driver is configured to move the outer wheel to a position where, as a result of a decrease in the width of the wheel, the tire is deformed such that an outer surface of the outer wheel is located inboard of a side surface of the tire, thereby allowing the tire to prevent damage of the outer wheel.

2 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first coupling member provided on the inner wheel; and

a second coupling member provided on the outer wheel,

wherein:

the inner wheel and the outer wheel are coupled to each other through the first coupling member and the second coupling member, and

the outer wheel is configured to move along the longitudinal direction of the axle of the vehicle through the first coupling member and the second coupling member.

3 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the driver comprises a hydraulic driver configured to generate the power in a hydraulic manner.

4 . The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:

a distance sensor installed on a side of the vehicle and configured to detect a distance between the vehicle and a structure present in a side direction of the vehicle,

wherein the controller is further configured to generate the control signal to decrease the width of the wheel to prevent contact between the structure and the wheel.

5 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein a plurality of distance sensors are installed on the side of the vehicle.

6 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the distance sensor is installed at a lower side of a vehicle door that is located between a front wheel and a rear wheel of the vehicle.

7 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the distance sensor is installed such that a direction for measuring the distance is angled downward relative to an installation height of the distance sensor.

8 . The vehicle of claim 5 , further comprising:

a first coupling member provided on the inner wheel; and

a second coupling member provided on the outer wheel, wherein:

the inner wheel and the outer wheel are coupled to each other through the first coupling member and the second coupling member, and

the outer wheel is configured to move along the longitudinal direction of the axle of the vehicle through the first coupling member and the second coupling member.

9 . The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the driver comprises a hydraulic driver configured to generate the power in a hydraulic manner.

10 . A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a wheel having a width that is changeable, a tire attached to the wheel, and a controller that generates a control signal for changing the width of the wheel, wherein the wheel comprises an inner wheel connected to an axle of the vehicle, an outer wheel connected to the inner wheel, and a driver interposed between the inner wheel and the outer wheel that varies the width of the wheel by generating power in response to the control signal so that the outer wheel moves along a longitudinal direction of the axle of the vehicle, wherein the driver is configured to move the outer wheel to a position where, as a result of a decrease in the width of the wheel, the tire is deformed such that an outer surface of the outer wheel is located inboard of a side surface of the tire, thereby allowing the tire to prevent damage of the outer wheel, the method comprising:

determining that a condition for changing the width of the wheel is satisfied; and

generating the control signal in response to the condition for varying the width of the wheel being satisfied.

11 . A method of controlling a vehicle, the vehicle comprising a wheel having a width that is changeable, a tire attached to the wheel, and a controller that generates a control signal for changing the width of the wheel, wherein the wheel comprises an inner wheel connected to an axle of the vehicle, an outer wheel connected to the inner wheel, and a driver interposed between the inner wheel and the outer wheel that changes the width of the wheel by generating power in response to the control signal such that the outer wheel moves along a longitudinal direction of the axle of the vehicle, wherein the driver is configured to move the outer wheel to a position where, as a result of a decrease in the width of the wheel, the tire is deformed such that an outer surface of the outer wheel is located inboard of a side surface of the tire, thereby allowing the tire to prevent damage of the outer wheel, the method comprising:

determining that the vehicle is in a parallel parking situation; and

generating the control signal such that the width of the wheel decreases in response to the vehicle being in the parallel parking situation.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the parallel parking situation comprises parking the vehicle in parallel on a roadside.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is determined to be in the parallel parking situation based on the vehicle being in a stationary state and a direction of the vehicle matching a direction of a road on which the vehicle is located.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is determined to be in the parallel parking situation based on the vehicle being in a stationary state and a location of the vehicle being on a road in a navigation of the vehicle.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle is determined to be in the parallel parking situation based on the vehicle being in a stationary state and a boundary stone separating a road and a sidewalk being detected in an image of a predetermined area at a side of the vehicle.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein generating the control signal comprises generating the control signal such that the width of the wheel decreases so that the width of the wheel is less than a width of the tire.

17 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the control signal to decrease the width of the wheel so that the width of the wheel is less than a width of the tire.

18 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein outer edges of the inner wheel and the outer wheel are configured to pressurize a portion of the tire in response to the change in the width of the wheel.

19 . The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to generate the control signal in response to determining that the vehicle is in a parallel parking situation.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein outer edges of the inner wheel and the outer wheel are configured to pressurize a portion of the tire in response to the change in the width of the wheel.