The safety-obsessed people over at Siemens VDO have developed a new system that, depending on the noise produced by a crash, will figure out the best way to deploy the airbags.
The Crash Impact Sound Sensor (CISS) is quicker on the draw than other systems (up to 15 milliseconds), and depending on the information it receives from the audio sensors, it can determine where the collision took place and the level of severity. In turn, the only airbags deployed would be the ones necessary to protect the affected passengers.
The system is particularly important to the vertically challenged, who have sustained serious injury when an airbag was deployed unnecessarily.
[Source: Siemens VDO via Autopia]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ben @ Mar 23rd 2007 10:43AM
This would make me very nervous driving through a noisy area like a construction site. Airbags have always spooked me anyway.
Jorge @ Mar 23rd 2007 11:38AM
What if I listen heavy metal??? I think the sound would activate the system.
drstrangegun @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:13PM
I wonder what kind of filtering they're using... it'd suck if somehow the guy next to you on the freeway gets hit head-on and *your* airbags suddenly pop.
DPC car videos @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:22PM
I would be on the edge of my seat every time I drive a car with this system. What if you drive through a thunder storm? I guess the best thing is to have this system in the car but not tell the customer so they won't think about it too much.
http://www.dpccars.com
DPCcars
Hamud @ Mar 23rd 2007 12:34PM
What if you were listening music when you crash the car, the CISS would be able to correctly identify the crash noice even with the music on high volume?
Anyway, something that came thru my mind now, guess this system is attached to the regular crash sensors used today, I mean, they only will help to deploy the airbags correctly, but the airbags remain in place if the regular sensors don't sense the crash.
Everyday Weekender @ Mar 25th 2007 2:30PM
I don't know.. i don't think I would like this very much.. i would always be very nervous driving - i would always fear the deployment of those bags
;)
EW
http://www.everydayweekender.com