Swedish company Airbag Inside has already developed an airbag clothing system under the Mo'cycle brand, with airbags conventionally installed inside jacket sleeves and pant legs. It's launching its first products, including airbag jeans, an airbag vest and even airbag shorts later this year, but the company's patents show even more ambitious ideas for the future. Among them are boots equipped with airbags and a parachute system.
The idea may seem far-fetched, but parachutes have been used for decades to slow down high-speed dragsters and even military aircraft where there is little room to stop them, such as on aircraft carriers. Parachutes also help keep these vehicles upright while they decelerate. On race tracks in particular, drivers who fall face a similar problem: They must be slowed or stopped before reaching a pile of tires or a wall, and the only thing slowing them down is the friction between their equipment. and asphalt, or the resistance of a gravel trap.
A conventional nylon parachute attached by ropes is not a good idea, however, because the principle relies on passing the airflow to deploy the main canopy by first catching the wind with a small canopy-shaped canopy. funnel called drug, then pulling the main canopy from its bag. It then takes time and distance for it to fully inflate before it begins to slow down the object or person attached to it. In a motorcycle accident, there is a good chance that a free-falling rider will become entangled with the main parachute before he or she can get the air needed to inflate and be effective.
This may seem strange at first, but this is where the idea of Airbag Inside comes in, and has had some careful thought applied to the theory. The concept consists of using two small canopies, similar to inflatable swimming pools for children, with the inflatable edge taking shape immediately, without the need for a flow of air. Likewise, the main "cords" (or attachment points) to the canopies are inflated to become relatively firm and position them above the rider's head. The only real lines are stabilizing ropes to keep the awnings from rotating and/or losing the air they catch. They are attached to points above the rider's head to keep them away from their neck and reduce the risk of entanglement. The system is inflated using conventional airbag inflation technology, which can be pyrotechnic or via compressed gas cartridges.
With the canopies above the rider, the idea is that once inflated, they will ensure that the rider slides feet forward and is quickly slowed down, pulling them away from the bike and stopping quickly or decelerating significantly before impacting any obstacle at the side of the track.
The idea seems to be geared more towards track use – where the trajectory of motorcycles and falling riders is more predictable than on public roads – but it would be interesting to see the system in action. This might prove impractical in the real world, as the canopies would have to inflate very quickly to avoid entanglements, but nonetheless any idea that might help with safety is worth considering.
