The ultimate airbag would not nessacarily be made out of nylon and filled with air. It might be made of a rods and would form itself into a contraption which wouyd project out of the front (or sides or back) of a car when a sensor detected imment impact with an oncoming object of vehicle. The rod made contraption would collapse or break apart and absorb much of the impact of a collision, protecting the vehicle and its occupants.

-izzard
-- izzard, Aug 02 2003

sp: unlit mate.
-- po, Aug 02 2003


Sp: utilimate
-- thumbwax, Aug 02 2003


sp: utility mate.
-- po, Aug 02 2003


Why not a big air bag that projects from the front of the car? Or a big bag that inflates under the car sending over danger's head?

And do you go by izzard izzard or just izzard?
-- k_sra, Aug 02 2003


l like the idea of just-in-time impact absorbtion but am wondering about what mechanism you propose to properly detect an imminent collision. Deceleration from braking would likely produce a lot of false positives while deceleration from impact is too late. Perhaps obstruction closing-speed detection with radar or similar? Even that could likely be fooled and triggered by a tree or large sign or lightpost near the edge of a twisty road.

Maybe, if every vehicle were equipped with a proximity-signal transmitter or something but that wouldn't help much with concrete bridge abutments or brick walls, etc.
-- bristolz, Aug 02 2003


Sp: Tamil ute
-- thumbwax, Aug 02 2003


Sp: Taut lime
-- gnomethang, Aug 03 2003



random, halfbakery