Your Next Car Could Have Airbags That Inflate on the Outside (popularmechanics.com)

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Your Next Car Could Have Airbags That Inflate on the Outside (popularmechanics.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on Saturday February 23, 2019 @04:34PM from the car-costs-keep-ballooning dept.

German auto supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG has spent 10 years working on external airbags for cars, according to Popular Mechanics, and "The tech is finally ready for carmakers -- that is, if ZF can convince them to buy it." With ZF's system, each side sill (the outside bodywork underneath the car doors) packs one airbag that runs the full length of the doors. Sensors on the car will watch out for any objects that look likely to slam into the side of the car. When the computers decide a crash is imminent and unavoidable, they deploy from the side sill, revealing the airbag. In no more than 100 milliseconds, inflators pump up the airbag to the height of a typical front bumper.

One advantage of outside airbags is that they disperse the forces of impact. An oncoming car about the slam into the side of your vehicle would strike with the relatively small surface area of its front bumperâ"and an even smaller surface if it strikes at an angle. But when a car hits an inflated airbag, the impact force is spread through the airbag and along the length of the vehicle's side structure, which reduces energy loads. ZF says its tech reduces intrusions into the passenger cabin by 30 up to percent, and reduces injury levels by 20 to 30 percent.

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Nah by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-23 16:38 · Score: 2, Funny

I drive a mattress with wheels already called a Cadillac.
1. Re:Nah by arglebargle_xiv · 2019-02-23 22:16 · Score: 1
  
  Some women already have airbags inflated on the outside. Katie Price springs immediately to mind.
slow speed collisions by Max_W · 2019-02-23 16:39 · Score: 2

It would be a very good solution for small speed collisions too. Especially for beginners. Even if not dangerous, a damage to a car may cost a lot.
1. Re: slow speed collisions by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-23 17:46 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Cost of repairing a deployed airbag is around $1500 EACH. This is not going to save anybody from the cost of a repair.
2. Re:slow speed collisions by AmiMoJo · 2019-02-23 23:05 · Score: 1
  
  I imagine getting the airbags reset will be pretty expensive too. The only benefit is reduced harm to the passengers.
  
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3. Re:slow speed collisions by Alci12 · 2019-02-24 00:21 · Score: 1
  
  Cost to reset the airbag might be pretty huge as well - they are for existing ones
4. Re: slow speed collisions by Max_W · 2019-02-24 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  Resetting a deployed airbag is occurring relatively seldom nowadays. With the external airbags it would be much more often. Such a mass market may influence the price.
5. Re: slow speed collisions by rtb61 · 2019-02-24 16:43 · Score: 1
  
  Somehow I think creating a child catapult not that good an idea. Kids run around and often do not pay attention and run into things, having that thing catapult them into the air, probably an extremely bad idea. Well at least they did not run, into the car ?!?
  
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  Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
Not the first by Sebby · 2019-02-23 17:01 · Score: 1

About 2 decades ago, I watched some news coverage of innovative (but not really serious) ideas university students came up with to 'enhance' safety of vehicles.
The one that stood out to me was a modified van that, upon detecting it was going to crash head-on into something, would flip its bumper down, from which inflatable arms and hands came out to 'brace' itself for the impact.

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Even better for protecting pedestrians and cyclist by drinkypoo · 2019-02-23 17:17 · Score: 1

Reducing cabin intrusion is obviously a good thing (except in the stabbin' cabin) but if it is that effective at protecting from automobile impact, imagine how far it could launch a pedestrian!

--
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
race tested? by js290 · 2019-02-23 17:29 · Score: 1

The safety features that work in racing are cages, seats, harnesses & helmets. Internal airbags haven't found their way into racing cars.

--
"Tempers are wearing thin. Let's just hope some robot doesn't kill everybody." --Bender
1. Re:race tested? by Anonymous Coward · 2019-02-23 17:34 · Score: 1
  
  Race cars need to have safety features removed. Race car drivers need to be removed from the gene pool. Fans should also have safety features removed from their cars for the same reason.
2. Re:race tested? by Uberbah · 2019-02-23 17:58 · Score: 1
  
  Well that escalated quickly.
3. Re:race tested? by rv6502 · 2019-02-23 18:32 · Score: 1
  
  I'd love 5-points harnesses in passenger cars. They'd make airbags completely unnecessary. Would reduce cost too. Replacing airbags adds a lot to repair costs, can even total a 8+ year old car that would have been otherwise repairable.
  But the market finds them too bothersome and there's also an issue with overweight passengers.
4. Re:race tested? by drinkypoo · 2019-02-24 00:04 · Score: 1
  
  You don't need internal air bags if you have all that other stuff. Other safety features that work in racing include strapping the helmeted head to an attachment point, big neck pillows, and wearing fireproof clothing, but those measures were also deemed to be too inconvenient for daily use. Sure, internal air bags can cause harm in some situations, but they also can reduce injury when drivers eschew other safety equipment, like their seat belt.
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
5. Re:race tested? by turbidostato · 2019-02-24 00:56 · Score: 1
  
  "The safety features that work in racing are cages, seats, harnesses & helmets. Internal airbags haven't found their way into racing cars."
  So what? Might it be racing cars and transport cars have different requirements?
6. Re:race tested? by Iwastheone · 2019-02-24 01:25 · Score: 1
  
  Car companies and safety experts have known for decades that 5 point harnesses are best, they were never implemented because it was hard enough to get people to click one buckle. Convincing people to take the time to click 2 buckles every time, that wasn't going to happen.
7. Re:race tested? by js290 · 2019-02-24 05:16 · Score: 1
  
  there was a Lotus back in the 80s that didn't pass DOT inspection because it came with a racing harness.
  
  --
  "Tempers are wearing thin. Let's just hope some robot doesn't kill everybody." --Bender
8. Re:race tested? by js290 · 2019-02-24 05:18 · Score: 1
  
  You don't need internal air bags if you have all that other stuff. Other safety features that work in racing include strapping the helmeted head to an attachment point, big neck pillows, and wearing fireproof clothing, but those measures were also deemed to be too inconvenient for daily use. Sure, internal air bags can cause harm in some situations, but they also can reduce injury when drivers eschew other safety equipment, like their seat belt.
  Yeah, those are the tradeoffs we make as consumers. Ultimately, it's safest to avoid accidents... drive more defensively.
  
  --
  "Tempers are wearing thin. Let's just hope some robot doesn't kill everybody." --Bender
9. Re:race tested? by js290 · 2019-02-24 05:21 · Score: 1
  
  "The safety features that work in racing are cages, seats, harnesses & helmets. Internal airbags haven't found their way into racing cars."
  So what? Might it be racing cars and transport cars have different requirements?
  Racing cars is historically where road car technology was tested. There's certainly a spectrum of safety requirements. If we label racing car safety as "safest", where on that spectrum are road going cars currently? It's certainly improved, but ultimately convenience wins out.
  
  --
  "Tempers are wearing thin. Let's just hope some robot doesn't kill everybody." --Bender
10. Re:race tested? by rv6502 · 2019-02-24 10:12 · Score: 1
  
  The regulations say 3 point belt, has to be 3 point belt.
  It's kind of ridiculous when you consider motorcycles exist (thank god we're still allowed *some* personal choices) and just about anything else is safer.
11. Re:race tested? by drinkypoo · 2019-02-24 12:30 · Score: 1
  
  Race cars don't crash head-on into an oncoming truck.
  No, they crash head-on into immovable walls, especially on tracks with inadequate runoffs, like road courses.
  
  All racers go the same direction and are roughly the same weight.
  And are going much, much faster than is legal on roads in most situations.
  
  Less need for 'consumer protections'
  Is that why more safety equipment is mandatory in racing? Because there's less need for it?
  
  --
  "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
2012+ Volvo V40 Already has one by thatDBA · 2019-02-23 17:33 · Score: 5, Informative

The Volvo V40 sold in Europe at least has had an external deploying pedestrian airbag since 2012; most likely engineered and manufactured by Autoliv of Sweden. Side note- notice no Volvo passenger vehicles are part of the global scale Takata airbag recalls.
Slow by skywire · 2019-02-23 17:35 · Score: 1

100ms is a very long time.

--
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
1. Re:Slow by mentil · 2019-02-23 17:48 · Score: 1
  
  That's what I thought at first, but keep in mind this is preemptive, deploying a second before the collision, rather than reactive like normal airbags, only deploying after a collision.
  
  --
  Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
Re:My next car is a subway car by ShanghaiBill · 2019-02-23 17:36 · Score: 1

Personal car ownership is a sad thing.
External airbags would make even more sense when combined with Uber/Lyft/Taxis and/or on-demand SDCs.
The cost would be spread across more miles.
Re:Even better for protecting pedestrians and cycl by ShanghaiBill · 2019-02-23 17:39 · Score: 1

imagine how far it could launch a pedestrian!
An impact with an airbag will injure a pedestrian less than an impact with the bumper.
Magnets by wolfheart111 · 2019-02-23 17:49 · Score: 1

That repel each other. :)

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[($)]
Re:remote detonation by dgatwood · 2019-02-23 17:53 · Score: 2

Better. Automatically deploy the external airbags whenever the car alarm gets triggered. Suddenly smash-and-grab robbery gets a lot more dangerous, complete with falling glass launched at the attacker's face at high speeds. How soon can we get them installed on every car in the Bay Area?

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Re:remote detonation by ShanghaiBill · 2019-02-23 18:06 · Score: 1

Better. Automatically deploy the external airbags whenever the car alarm gets triggered.
99.9% of car alarms are false positives.
I had mine disabled by the dealership. They told me a lot of people ask for that.
Enjoy the ownership cost increase. by rv6502 · 2019-02-23 18:12 · Score: 1

So every near-misses and door dents we'll have to pay over $2000 for replacement doors, airbags, and labour. That's going to be great for people who can barely afford a car.
Because once it's a "safety device" it has to be in perfect condition for the car to be allowed on the road. Parking lot scrapes that would have been an otherwise innocuous door dent and a good pull with a suction cup will now require an expensive repair and airbag replacement. The manufacturer can charge a maximum because it has to be certified.
I hope they won't just take the manufacturer's word for it and independently evaluate the functionality and safety benefits before updating regulations and jacking up the costs. There's going to be added dangers too when the airbags don't go off (frontal collision or other) and the emergency services have to cut the door.
1. Re:Enjoy the ownership cost increase. by Cederic · 2019-02-23 22:31 · Score: 1
  
  So every near-misses and door dents we'll have to pay over $2000
  Worse than that. It'll turn near misses into hits.
  That pedestrian timing crossing the street perfectly? Now on his arse and costing you money.
  The cyclist coming down your near side when you're trying to turn? Yep, you're definitely getting her now.
  That small child you successfully slammed on the brakes and avoided by mere mm? Now you get to punt it down the street.
  I'll skip this one thanks.
2. Re:Enjoy the ownership cost increase. by Iwastheone · 2019-02-24 02:26 · Score: 1
  
  Thanks, that video is hilarious, instant karma for that a-hole driver.
Re:Military Tech by ShanghaiBill · 2019-02-23 18:14 · Score: 1

I don't know how effective or how many tanks use it, but I've heard of similar tech used to help protect tanks.
External airbags have been deployed on some military vehicles. They do nothing against kinetic energy weapons, such as sabot penetrators, but they disrupt Munroe-effect warheads, and can prevent some weapons with inertial fuses from detonating, including RPGs.
Re:My next car is a subway car by Khyber · 2019-02-23 18:23 · Score: 1

Let's see you take the subway into the mountains to mine for your work.
You're a perfect candidate for r/iamverysmart

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Beach balls by rv6502 · 2019-02-23 18:39 · Score: 1

How big of a beach ball do I have to kick toward the car for the airbags to detect "a large fast incoming object" and deploy, costing $1500+ to replace?
What if someone threw a beach ball at the car? by risc8088 · 2019-02-23 19:21 · Score: 1

Would it cause the bumper's external airbag to go off? People like to mess with new technology don't they? Reminded me of the simpsons for some reason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Re:Even better for protecting pedestrians and cycl by drinkypoo · 2019-02-23 22:49 · Score: 1

And it'll injure the bumper less, too.

--
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Re:My next car is a subway car by reboot246 · 2019-02-24 01:33 · Score: 2

And how far have you ever traveled from home? Ten miles? Maybe fifty miles? The world is a LOT bigger than that, and most of it doesn't have subways or mass transportation. You need to get out more and broaden your horizons.

People like you are part of the problem. You look outside your window and you think the whole planet looks just like that. City life is such a sad thing.

Hey, I have trees in my yard! Do you?
Re:Oh, great! by Iwastheone · 2019-02-24 01:53 · Score: 1

Then, we pedestrians and cyclists will be knocked out before being run over.
Frankly, cars are so 1990. They gotta go.
So, you're able to safely transport a family and a months worth of groceries 20+ miles as a pedestrian/cyclist? In bad weather? Please post a video of this for us all to marvel at your super-human abilities.
Body work by reanjr · 2019-02-24 02:25 · Score: 1

When I got in a fender bender, my car was nearly totalled from the airbag deploy. I have a feeling this is primarily intended to bring in more body work.
30 up to percent by dinfinity · 2019-02-24 02:45 · Score: 1

ZF says its tech reduces intrusions into the passenger cabin by 30 up to percent
A done well job, EditorDavid.
1. Re:30 up to percent by Iwastheone · 2019-02-24 03:28 · Score: 1
  
  EditorDavid is all right in my book, he's condensed my submissions from a wall of text several times. Early Sunday morning editing? I'd give him a pass on this one.
I like by Ol+Olsoc · 2019-02-24 02:59 · Score: 1

Did anyone else think of the old game character Kirby?
Anyhow, if they can implement this without making the cars look too weird, and manage to keep the things from getting clogged with road dirt, this could be quite cool.

--
The shepherds did so well protecting the flock that the sheep no longer believed that wolves existed.
Saves repair money? Maybe not. by biggaijin · 2019-02-24 03:04 · Score: 1

On the surface, this sounds like a good idea if only because the smallest scratch on the exterior of a car now costs over $1000 to repair. The side airbags could prevent some of this damage, at least with slow-speed collisions and scrapes. The only problem is that it also costs about $1000 to replace an airbag that has discharged. For cars that have over 100K miles, insurance companies often declare them a total loss after an accident if the airbags have discharged. Replacing the bags can cost more than the car is worth, and it's illegal in the US to repair a car and put it on the road without the airbags in place and working.
also know as by mark_reh · 2019-02-24 03:23 · Score: 1

reactive armour
Naa... just implement "Cannoli airbag" instead by DanDD · 2019-02-24 04:09 · Score: 1

After crash: "What the hell happened? All of a sudden this car turned into a cannoli..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

--
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Re:My next car is a subway car by fluffernutter · 2019-02-25 01:22 · Score: 1

Why don't you drive a bicycle?

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Re:My next car is a subway car by bill_mcgonigle · 2019-02-26 17:06 · Score: 1

It's cool. Just don't buy any food that comes from farmers who drive a car. Or people who manufacture things. Maybe like subway cars.

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