Acura has invented an airbag that works like a catcher’s mitt
It uses three chambers to control head rotation and prevent diffuse axonal injuries. …
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Hopefully something we never have to see in person—an inflated three-chamber airbag. You can see here how the two outboard chambers are connected by a fabric sail.
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A 3D rendering of the airbag as it inflates that more clearly shows all three bags. The two outboard bags stop your head from rotating.
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This angle lets you see the sail more clearly. It has the added benefit of more slowly decelerating the head before it reaches the central bag, which should contribute to reducing head injuries.
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A view of a crash test dummy hitting the airbag.
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You can see here the dummy is moving toward the center of the vehicle, but its head and neck are relatively straight.
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The new airbag will show up in Acura’s 2021 TLX, but Autoliv can also supply it to other OEMs.
Cars, trucks, and SUVs are safer today than they’ve ever been, but with 22,891 recorded US passenger vehicle fatalities in 2018, it’s obvious we still have some way to go. That’s where today’s invention comes in—it’s a new kind of airbag developed by Acura, designed to reduce brain injuries in front seat passengers. Instead of the single-chamber passenger airbag you probably have in the dash of your car, this one uses three individual chambers
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