Technabob » airbag

Safety Sphere Motorcycle Airbag Suit Turns You into a Giant Orange

Technabob — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:00:01 +0000

I’m one of those guys who thinks motorcycles are really cool, but I don’t ride one. I think it’s because I’ve always been convinced that I’d end up killing myself if I tried to negotiate the slick roads and maniac drivers of Chicago in the winter time. I actually knew a guy in college who rode a motorcycle and got in an accident and ended up as a paraplegic, so that doesn’t help with my anxieties.

But if I were to take up motorcycle riding, this would be protective gear which would convince me to ride.

Designed by Rejean Neron, the Safety Sphere is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a special bike suit that automatically inflates into a sphere, enveloping the rider and protecting them from injury if they ever go flying off the bike in a crash. The suit inflates to its full capacity in 5/100ths of a second, and fills with compressed air to cushion the impact. The sphere is made up of two layers of fabric, including an inner layer of thin elastic material, and an outer layer of parachute-type cloth. A battery connects to an electric ignition which triggers nitrocellulose canister, inflating the suit in the event of an impact.

Yes, the resulting expanded suit looks completely ridiculous. I’m reminded of that part of Willy Wonka where Violet Beuregarde turns into a blueberry, except this time you’ll be turning into a navel orange. Still, I’d rather look stupid than end up dead. From the looks of things, you might still need some Oompa Loompas to come rescue you after an accident, too.

[via Motorcycle News]

The “World’s Safest Electric Vehicle” Has Air Bags on the Outside

Hazel Chua — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:00:21 +0000

Parents and teachers have taught us at a young age not to “judge a book by its cover” because sometimes, it’s what’s on the inside that counts – and this doesn’t just apply to people or actual books, either. But it’s pretty hard not to judge this one based on how it looks, because it’s sort of carrying a whole lot of baggage on the outside. Only, it’s not the kind of baggage that you think it is.

The iSAVE-SC1 vehicle has been dubbed as the “safest electric vehicle in the world” by Humanix, the company responsible for developing it alongside Hiroshima University. It diverges from how cars are usually made, since the airbags are usually hidden in the wheel or dashboard of vehicles, and not “worn” all over on the car’s exterior.

Another thing that makes the iSAVE-SC1 different from most cars is that it only has three wheels instead of the usual four.

Click to View Embedded Video Clip

It’s obviously a pretty small vehicle, only seating up to three persons comfortably. Humanix plans to sell the first units of the car this November for appx. $10,400 (USD), while mass production has been slated for sometime in 2012.

I don’t know how effective it will be in cushioning the blow upon a real-world impact, but what’s pretty obvious is that this car won’t need any paint jobs at all after a collision.

[via TechCrunch via Oh Gizmo!]

Car Hood Airbags Protect Pedestrians From Bad Drivers

Karen M. — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 12:09:10 +0000

When I think of airbags, I picture them inside the car. But what if we equipped cars with outer airbags to protect pedestrians?

That’s exactly what Toyoda Gosei (an offshoot of Toyota) has done with these prototypes: they’ve equipped cars with camera and radar sensors to detect pedestrians and (presumably) activate the outer airbags to protect anyone within range of the car. The hood airbag is supposed to cushion your head while the grill airbag cushions your waist, making the fact that you are getting run over a teensy bit more comfy.

I’m not sure if these cars look awesomely futuristic, ridiculously stupid, or just plain huggable. And I’m not sure that having a pillow pop out of a car that’s slamming into you is going to help all that much. Still, it’s an interesting concept, and who knows? This may become the norm in the future and won’t seem funny-looking at all. Then again, probably not.

[via Fareastgizmos]

Avalanche Airbag Looks Stupid, Saves Lives

Technabob — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 15:02:58 +0000

You’re sure to make a fashion statement walking down the street wearing one of these. The Snowpulse Life Bag is a special backpack that’s designed to protect hikers in the event of an avalanche.

While it may look ridiculous, I suppose that it’s actually a really good idea if you happen to spend a lot of time walking in the mountains. As soon as you hear the rumble of the avalanche, you pull the ripcord and an airbag inflates to cover and protect your head and neck within 3 seconds. It even creates a small air pocket for you in case you’re buried under the rubble.

Sometimes I think I should wear one of these wherever I go. Let’s say you’re walking down a dark alley and a gang of thugs come out of nowhere with a baseball bat. How handy would it be to activate your Life Bag right before they whack you over the head? Take that, thugs!

[Coolest Gadgets via GeekAlerts]