A big challenge arising from expected new driving scenarios is that vehicle occupants will be in a much wider variety of positions than they have traditionally, as they relax, work, sleep, and do other non-driving activities. Traditional safety architecture is based on the assumption, usually valid up to now, of a rather narrow range of seat, occupant, and belt positions. Now new and varied seating positions will require a new approach to protect occupants wherever they are, and whatever they are occupied with.
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For example, a dashboard-mounted airbag could land like a vicious punch to the back of the head if an occupant has swiveled their chair around to talk to rear-seat passengers. It’s fun to imagine lounging in our cars once they start driving themselves, but safety engineers are worried about how to make sure we’ll still be protected if there’s a crash. Autoliv, a major supplier of interior safety systems, has developed a new “life cell” airbag, which provides protection regardless of how a driver or passenger is seated. A comparable approach is found in a new “dual lobe” passenger airbag which envelopes passenger in a range of positions.
These cocoonlike safety solutions could help shield the passenger from free-flying objects, including unbuckled backseat occupants or loose items in the vehicle.
Other systems are in development by a variety of suppliers, and there’s intense interest and development in seat-integral belts and airbags to assure optimally need-responsive protection no matter the position of the seat or its occupant.
