Hyundai has started working on developing an airbag that can respond to multiple collisions and protect individuals beyond the first impact. The company claims that the multi-collision airbag system will be a first of its kind.
Hyundai said that current airbag systems sometimes don’t even go off for an initial collision, let alone protect against a secondary hit. Now, Hyundai’s integrated technology can detect the position of individuals inside the vehicle following the initial impact. Then, it uses data to calculate the necessary strength for a subsequent airbag deployment that’s prompted by a second hit. This could mitigate injuries that are caused from secondary crashes.
“Current airbag systems do not offer secondary protection when the initial impact is insufficient to cause them to deploy,” said Hyundai. “However, the multi-collision airbag system allows airbags to deploy effectively upon a secondary impact by calibrating the status of the vehicle and the occupants.”
This isn’t Hyundai’s first rendezvous with creating an airbag system. At the beginning of 2018, the company released a system that placed an airbag in the rear section of a vehicle’s sunroof to protect individuals from a rollover accident.
According to Hyundai’s research, cars that cross the centerline are the most likely to cause multi-stage collisions, which is then followed by sudden stopping at tolls and sideswiping. Additionally, they classified multi-collision accidents as having a primary impact followed by a collision with a secondary object such as a tree, electrical post, or another vehicle.
Currently, the company hasn’t said when these smart airbags will be available, but they are thought to make their way into both Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
“We have not decided yet which new vehicles will receive this airbag system,” said Jin Cha, general manager of global public relations for Hyundai, in an email to USA Today. “However, since (the) U.S. is one of the biggest markets for Hyundai, where we sell our technologically advanced vehicles, the Hyundai vehicles sold in (the) U.S. will most likely to receive this system when it goes to production.”
Hyundai hopes this will mitigate the consequences of car crashes and provide better safety to individuals in the vehicle. Potentially, this could implore other automobile companies to create customized crash protection and help decrease the deadly statistics of car crashes.
“By improving airbag performance in multi-collision scenarios, we expect to significantly improve the safety of our drivers and passengers,” said Taesoo Chi, head of Hyundai Motor Group’s Chassis Technology Center, in a statement, according to CNET. “We will continue our research on more diverse crash situations as part of our commitment to producing even safer vehicles that protect occupants and prevent injuries.”
Filed Under: Product design
