German automotive supplier ZF has presented a new external airbag system for passenger vehicles, which is designed to soften the initial impact in broadside accidents.
The “pre-crash safety system,” as ZF calls it, uses a sophisticated sensor system and algorithm to recognize when a side impact collision is possible. If the software decides the side impact crash is imminent, it will deploy the side airbag.
In a statement, ZF said the external airbag system “can reduce the penetration of the intruding vehicle by up to 30 percent, helping to significantly reduce the occupants’ risk of injury.”
The information provided by the safety sensor can also be used to warn the vehicle occupants of an impending collision, or to position them in a way that could minimize the risk of injury even further just seconds before the collision, ZF said.
According to data obtained by the supplier, side impact collisions are among the most dangerous type of road traffic accidents and account for nearly 700 deaths per year on German roads – or one third of all yearly traffic accident fatalities in the country.
A video released by ZF shows an inflatable demonstration car approaching an Opel Astra equipped with the pre-crash detection sensor and airbag. While the video does not really demonstrate the effectiveness of the airbag in the event of a real crash, it does confirm that ZF’s sensor system works.
The company says perfecting the sensor and algorithm was the hardest part of developing the pre-crash safety system. It seems it would be easy for the system to recognize a false positive, as vehicles are constantly passing by objects when out on the road that could be misidentified. ZF says the system has approximately 150 milliseconds to make the decision to deploy the airbag and fill it, which is roughly the amount of time it takes a person to blink.
You can see the system in action in the video embedded above.
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Comments
It will also reduce repair and insurance cost as well! Ive been waiting for this to be available for a while! Crash repairs become exspensive when frame and motor damage occures. Body panels are cheap!
Problem is those airbags are going to cost a fortune to replace. Insurance companies already write off cars worth less than 20k if the airbags deployed, imagine the cost of replacing that monstrosity?
This looks promising if the car T-boning the ZF External Airbag equipped sedan isn’t real.. if ZF wants to prove a point, I want to see the same collision with a Chevrolet Suburban traveling at 70 mph striking a Ford Fusion.
Indeed, the car hitting the Opel is just a lightweight frame with a canvas over it, which should represent a car. The test would only be successful if it were 2 real cars colliding. And as far as we know, it might well be that the airbag deployment is just remote triggered and not based on sensors. This whole demonstrating seems like a very early stage thing, leaning towards a hoax. Maybe a quick effort to boost the share value, as we are nearing the end of the second quarter ?
Look at how the “fake car” jumps up, hits the Opel door above the airbag but does not cause any dent at that level… However, the impact on the airbag does make the Opel loose grip as its slides sideways, and creates a blow-out on the rear left wheel (see 0:27)… The idea is good, but the test is totally unconvincing.
I might as well cover my cars with layers of bubble wrap which is cheaper. The only problem will be door openings and side views
Seems like a good idea in theory, but too much impracticality. But then again, I guess all things were viewed that way at one time, so 10-20 years from now , who knows? Could be law-required equipment !