New External Airbag Technology Patented By Honda

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  Airbags are typically found inside cars but Honda thinks they would work well on the outside.

• They are designed to help in the case of an impact with a pedestrian or cyclist.

Honda has patented a new external airbag system for its cars. We’re convinced that many carmakers before Honda have thought of developing such a technology, however, we assume that related costs or impact on design have convinced them to not push the issue. Honda, on the other hand, has gone the extra mile and patented this new system.

In the event that your Honda’s collision avoidance system fails to react in time, in the future, your Honda product may be equipped with external airbags designed to limit injuries to an unfortunate pedestrian or cyclist. This would constitute the first novel use of airbags since Ford attempted to convince the world that they belonged in seatbelts.

The technology involves sensors to determine the size, distance, and speed in order to regulate the speed at which the external airbags will need to deploy. On top of the tech required to make the airbags work, Honda’s system also includes a variety of mechanisms to prevent a pedestrian, once hit, from flying over or sliding under the car.

The idea is great although we’re mildly concerned about the replacement costs for these elements once they go into production. Airbags can be extremely costly to replace which in turn can lead to very high insurance premiums…