Automakers, and many other companies, patent numerous techniques and inventions, but they don’t all necessarily come to market. We’re not sure where to file the potential for an exterior airbag, but General Motors clearly sees some potential.
The automaker filed for the patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on December 5 and sketches show the airbag lurking in the A-pillar region on the fender. The airbag sits adjacent and below the vehicle’s hood, but before the door. The patent language states the airbag would “provide protection to a pedestrian from impacting the frontal area of a vehicle structure.”
The concept seems easy enough, but we do wonder about the complications an airbag module on the outside of the car could bring. Namely, extreme temperatures, weather and other factors that could complicate such a system. The patent does address a water diversion system to keep electronics intact.
Again, there’s no guarantee GM will even bring such a system to market, but it doesn’t seem unthinkable that future vehicle may boast exterior airbags after reading through 28 pages of patent-speak.
Comments
There is a good chance the government may require them so best to be proactive and figure it out now.
In Europe they already have hood space requirements between the hood and engine for crush space. Also there are some companies using a active hood that will pop up to give more space and cushion to the pedestrian.
By being proactive it can lessen the needed requirements vs. some non auto engineer passing a law in DC that may be tougher to meet.
I could care less about pedestrians cars should not be designed to take care of a person walking down the street!
These laws just make designing cars and trucks even harder, this is one of the reasons that cars and trucks look the same!
It’s sad that we have gotten to this point and it needs to stop!
Seems like standard Automatic Pedestrian Breaking is a much better and efficient way to handle this.
I can’t see an airbag helping a pedestrian too much if it is deployed at speed in front of a car, though I’d love to see the crash dummy test videos.
Jason FTW!
This is an needless expense to add to cars.
It may not help much as mass and velocity are what they are. What is next? Helmets on pedestrian heads and my pillows on their butts.
Just more nanny state devices.
I am not saying we should go out and kill stupid people….. I am just saying lets remove the warning labels and let it sort itself out.
What would make WAY more sense is if the bags (say front and rear) were TOUGH and designed to minimize or negate car damage in fender benders.
Is this really for the autonomous cars though . With the braking systems we now have to stop a car on its own with no driver input , this looks like an item to help protect us from being hit by driver less cars in the future .
How much is this going to cost , and will it be optional or start out for just the higher end vehicles .
This may end up being another regulation which is why our vehicles all have the same basic shape these days .
This had to be something engineers considered developing prior to technology where the car would stop autonomously before making contact with the pedestrian.
I’m glad I read through the article and saw the drawings. The only thing I could imagine when I read the headline was a huge airbag similar in shape and deployment to the airbag in the steering wheel launching a pedestrian away from your shiny car with impunity.
🙂
This is akin to wearing a leather helmet as head protection when playing football or…flying biplanes!
Automatic Pedestrian Braking would probably be much for effective.
What’s next? “Cow Catchers” on the front of cars?