Airbag for Cyclists

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

trad

Once the saddle had taken out your wedding prospects I don't think you'd feel the pain.

seamus

Nice invention, but needs more thought. Generally impractical for everyday use - you'll sweat like a rapist. I wonder if they've tested what happens to the device if it gets hot - as in, "wrapped around the neck of a hard-working cyclist in 30 degree heat". They're based on compressed air, which does things when it gets hot.

It also ignores that rear strikes are statistically a very uncommon type of crash for bikes, seems like an expensive and irritating thing to wear for very little benefit.

The crash test also shows that the cyclist's back is left completely unprotected. The airbag might save your brain, but you could be lying in bed, breathing through a tube for the rest of your life.

A better invention would be to look at the same kind of thing, but embedded in a helmet (and a whole lot cheaper). When you come off the bike, you get some all-enveloping mushroom thing to cover your head, saving both your brain and the soft flesh on your face. Then you buy a replacement air canister for €10, fold the airbag back into your helmet and away you go. The forces involved are a lot less than a car, so you don't need the same degree of inflation that a car does.

bcmf

seamus wrote: »

A better invention would be to look at the same kind of thing, but embedded in a helmet (and a whole lot cheaper). When you come off the bike, you get some all-enveloping mushroom thing to cover your head, saving both your brain and the soft flesh on your face. Then you buy a replacement air canister for €10, fold the airbag back into your helmet and away you go. The forces involved are a lot less than a car, so you don't need the same degree of inflation that a car does.(PATENT PENDING)

fyp.
Now print it off and send it in to the patents office. I demand 25% off royalties/earnings for it.:)

positron

I was thinking the same when I saw the video - curtain airbag like stuff that comes out of the helmet to protect the head, and may be the cycling jerseys could have incorporate a lightweight and flexible 'spine', which in itself would protect the spine and could also have curtain airbag thingees to both sides of it to protect the ribs / kidneys etc.

To tackle the pressured air issue, what if you inverse it, that is vaccum holds them all in place, and when the seal breaks (with a pulley attached to the bike or a sensor) the air rushes in and the bags expact? I suppose it would need some sort special rubber to inflate like that.. but I am sure there's something out there..!

Right, also calling my patents lawyer now..!

doozerie

As an exercise in what could serve as an alternative to a helmet I find it interesting, but as a practical solution to some problem or other I'm far from convinced (of either the solution or the existence of the problem it is trying to address).

Of course, given that it is the Daily Mail that is reporting it they'll likely go on and on about how it will be sheer suicide to choose to not use one, just like it is apparently only "vain people" that don't wear a helmet. They may well even start a campaign to make these things mandatory for all cyclists. Unless their interest is diverted by some other "notable" news event, that is, such as someone from the telly being seen in public wearing mismatched socks.

CramCycle

Anyone remember the safety gadget in bond where if you pulled a cable a bubble inflated around you, that would be awesome, can't find a picture



I was sure I remembered it from the Moore era but apparently not

tomasrojo

As doozerie said, people who choose to wear a helmet are not necessarily doing so out of vanity.

I'll say no more. This has Friday Helmet Thread written all over.

tomasrojo

As I said on the Broomwagon, I'd be interested to see what foolproofing has gone into it too. I've seen people wear helmets backwards, amazingly enough, and I imagine suffocation would be a real prospect if you were to wear that pre-inflation collar back to front. Or if it didn't follow your head movements and went off when you were looking back over your shoulder.

I read somewhere that 6 million SEK went into developing this, which I think is €650k.

Peterx

seamus wrote: »

The crash test also shows that the cyclist's back is left completely unprotected. The airbag might save your brain, but you could be lying in bed, breathing through a tube for the rest of your life.

The bonnet crumples for the cyclists back. At least it did when pretty much that exact crash happened to me. My arse is harder then the bonnet of a Hyundia Accent anyway..
Another car safety design solution would be to make the windscreen a crumple-zone as well. Can't beat separate lanes though. In my opinion of course being as it's Friday...

ednwireland

CramCycle

ednwireland wrote: »

Whats the inflation time?

ednwireland

CramCycle wrote: »

Whats the inflation time?

3s

http://www.lockwoods.com/off-piste-ski-safety/ski-touring-rucksacks/snowpulse-life-bag-30/prod_2837.html

anyway one for the ladies, considering its friday

http://gizmodo.com/324549/inflatable-bikini-life-jacket-harnesses-the-life+saving-power-of-boobs



as you can seee i'm not being serious

po0k

Peterx wrote: »

Can't beat separate lanes though.

+1

tomasrojo

Separate lanes:
Provided they're not designed by the current generation of Irish road engineers. Imposing a parallel network on top of the current road network is a job for skilled, informed people. Junctions are very tricky to get right, and the ideal solution is not to paint Yield triangles for cyclists at all junctions.

EDIT: I might as well, as usual, adduce our internationally recognised best-practice cycling facility.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/pete.meg/wcc/facility-of-the-month/September2010.htm

youcancallmeal

ednwireland wrote: »

Here is is in action. I love the comments.

tomasrojo

As always, Sheldon had the answer:
http://sheldonbrown.com/images/airbag-helmet.jpg

tomasrojo

Seems it took 30 million SEK to develop it.

3.25 million euro.

Mr Benevolent

tomasrojo wrote: »

Seems it took 30 million SEK to develop it.

3.25 million euro.

What a waste. A good motorcross helmet would give the same protection. If they concentrated on reducing back injuries they'd really be onto a winner.

biko

Not plugging this - just came across it on youtube and thought it could be cool to let you guys know. Helmet is still under development and isn't available yet.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Hovdingsverige#p/u/0/CwF-ZbJ_txw

It's worn around your neck like below and sensors blow it up if there is a crash/collision.
I've no comparing data with real helmets.

ednwireland

love the vid where the dummy face plants and smashes nose/chin into ground ! really great design

Mr Benevolent

biko wrote: »

Not plugging this - just came across it on youtube and thought it could be cool to let you guys know. Helmet is still under development and isn't available yet.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Hovdingsverige#p/u/0/CwF-ZbJ_txw

It's worn around your neck like below and sensors blow it up if there is a crash/collision.
I've no comparing data with real helmets.

Uh, biko, that's the exact product this thread is about

Beasty

Confab wrote: »

Uh, biko, that's the exact product this thread is about

That's because I merged biko's new thread into this one to avoid having 2 current threads on the same topic

biko

Oops, sorry, didn't realise there already was a thread on it.
I did a search for "Hovding", not "Hvvding" as in this OP

vektarman

biko wrote: »

Not plugging this - just came across it on youtube and thought it could be cool to let you guys know. Helmet is still under development and isn't available yet.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Hovdingsverige#p/u/0/CwF-ZbJ_txw

It's worn around your neck like below and sensors blow it up if there is a crash/collision.
I've no comparing data with real helmets.

Did anyone else think this was about a device that turned a man into a woman when they first looked at this post?

Cabaal

biko wrote: »

Not plugging this - just came across it on youtube and thought it could be cool to let you guys know. Helmet is still under development and isn't available yet.

http://www.youtube.com/user/Hovdingsverige#p/u/0/CwF-ZbJ_txw

Curious what causes it to go offf, sudden increase of speed?

God help the person that decides to go down and hill and hits 50km only for this thing to deploy around their head :eek:

droidus

Cabaal wrote: »

Curious what causes it to go offf, sudden increase of speed?

God help the person that decides to go down and hill and hits 50km only for this thing to deploy around their head :eek:

Presumably its some kind of accelerometer that only activates under extreme acceleration - for example, during a 30 kph crash the head might accelerate at a rate of 1026 m/s², which is far higher than what you could achieve through normal means.

doozerie

tomasrojo wrote: »

Seems it took 30 million SEK to develop it.

3.25 million euro.

Not to mention all those poor dummies with no cycling sense and now severe injuries to add to their woes too. That's the hidden tragedy here, all of those shattered dummy families. And the fashion disaster that is large collars, of course - did we learn nothing from the 70's?

darconio

They forgot to simulate the scumbag throwing at your face an unidentified (flying) object (happened to me on the quays last week)