University of Extrication: Future Airbag Systems - Part 1
Subject: Supplemental Restraint Airbag Systems
Topic: Future Airbag Systems, Part 1
Objective: Provide an overview of future supplemental restraint airbag systems
Task: The rescue team shall review the prototype future airbag supplemental restraint systems presented and discuss fire, EMS and extrication challenges presented by these systems.
Responders nationwide realize how challenging it is to keep up to date with advances in occupant airbag systems. Very few vehicle rescue personnel, let alone rescue instructors, can list the 26 locations where airbags could possibly be found in vehicles today. This University of Extrication series reveals new airbag occupant protection system concepts that, once provided in automobiles, will raise the number of possible airbag locations to 31.
Through the cooperation of engineers at ZF TRW, a Michigan-based manufacturer of active and passive occupant safety systems, we will take a pictorial look at airbag systems that are currently prototypes and concepts. These featured airbag systems represent the next step in airbag advances and will most assuredly be found in vehicles in the near future.
Read Part 2 here.
Prototype Airbags
Front-Seat Mounted Rear Airbag: stowed in the back portion of each front seat
Roof-Mounted Rear Airbag: secured in a support member that runs across the roof from side to side
Center Module Airbag: deployed upward from the center rear seat
Ron Moore
RON MOORE, who is a Firehouse contributing editor, recently retired as a division chief with the McKinney, TX, Fire Department and now serves with Prosper, TX, Fire Rescue. He self-published the Vehicle Rescue 1-2-3 training manual and serves as the forum moderator for the extrication section of Firehouse.com . Moore can be contacted directly at [email protected].
