Engineers design AI-triggered airbag bubble to protect passengers in plane crash
SMRTR summary
A last-ditch bubble of hope for airline passengers facing the unthinkable. That's what engineers from BITS Pilani's Dubai campus have designed with Project REBIRTH, an AI-powered survival system that deploys external airbags around aircraft during unavoidable crashes.
The system, created after a deadly Air India crash, monitors multiple flight parameters and deploys Kevlar-reinforced airbags from the nose, belly, and tail in under two seconds when a crash is imminent.
"This sounds like an interesting idea BUT airline disasters that this airbag system is intended to mitigate would mean that future aircraft would all be carrying the additional weight and other compromises to mitigate one accident in 20 years," notes Jeff Edwards, a retired US Navy bombardier and aviation safety consultant.
Computer simulations suggest the airbags could reduce crash impact by over 60 percent. The team has built a 1:12 scale prototype and is preparing for full-size testing.
Born from tragedy, the system also features bright orange paint, GPS beacons, and flashing lights to guide rescue teams to crash sites quickly.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Interesting Engineering.
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