Airbags: for safer cyclingRyan Mott
October 22, 2014
Overview
•Purpose:
•Overview:▫Needs: Why research cyclist safety and
airbags▫Methodology: How research cyclist safety and
airbags
Proposing the research of making bicyclists safer from injury by adapting airbags to human powered vehicles
• Human Powered Vehicle design competition/race
• Types of human powered vehicles:
▫ Upright
▫ Recumbent
May include RPS (roll protection system)
May include fairing (aerodynamic shell)
• Innovation competition
▫ Emphasis: Safety
Source: http://www.wpclipart.com/recreation/cycling/bicycles_2/recumbent_bike.png.html
Source: 2014 HPVC photo by GCC students (\\grover\orgs\ASME\2013_HPVC\PHOTO\HPV 2013 Pictures Each Team)
Why cyclist safety: Human Powered Vehicle Challenge
Why cyclist safety: Risks of Cycling
• Automobile collisions
▫ 726 fatalities, 2012
▫ 49,000 injuries
▫ Most common crash:
Bike hits side of turning car
• Other accidents
▫ Falls
▫ Faired vehicles: collide after fall
Source: http://www.cyclelicio.us/labels/safety.html
Six most Frequent Sources of Injury Percent
Hit by car 29
Fell 17
…
Source: http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/whoweare.cfm
• Helmet
• Wearable airbags
• Harness
• RPS (roll protection system)
• Fairing
Why cyclist safety: Existing technologies
• Absorb high impact
▫ Frontal Collision
• Distribute/Cushion low
impact
▫ Rollover Protection
• Shield from debris/abrasion
Why cyclist safety: Why Airbags
Source: http://www.dsf.my/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/airbag3.png
Source: http://thecarseatlady.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/toyotalandcruisersideairbags.jpg?w=600&h=336
Research Methodology
Existing airbag uses
Bike crash and injury
types
User perception
Bike Airbag protection
Bike Airbag design
• Society of Automotive Engineers• Automotive Vehicle Safety• Honda motorcycle airbags
Research Methodology
Existing airbag uses
Bike crash and injury
types
User perception
Bike Airbag protection
Bike Airbag design
• Blogs, e.g.bentrideronline.com
• News articles• Dr. Archibald
• NHTSA Traffic Facts• PBIC• Crash accounts
• Society of Automotive Engineers• Automotive Vehicle Safety• Honda motorcycle airbags
Research Methodology
Existing airbag uses
Bike crash and injury
types
User perception
Bike Airbag protection
Bike Airbag design
• Blogs, e.g.bentrideronline.com
• News article• Dr. Archibald
• NHTSA Traffic Facts• PBIC• Crash accounts
• Society of Automotive Engineers• Automotive Vehicle Safety• Honda motorcycle airbags
• Competing safety features
Research Methodology
Existing airbag uses
Bike crash and injury
types
User perception
Bike Airbag protection
Bike Airbag design
• Blogs, e.g.bentrideronline.com
• News article• Dr. Archibald
• NHTSA Traffic Facts• PBIC• Crash accounts
• Society of Automotive Engineers• Automotive Vehicle Safety• Honda motorcycle airbags
• Competing safety features
Conclusion:
• Needs:
▫ Risks of cycling, causing injury and poor perception
▫ Human Powered Vehicle Challenge
• Recommendation:
▫ Current airbags: types, target, design, challenges
▫ Risks of cycling
▫ Public perception of safety
▫ For what purposes could airbags be adapted
▫ How to design an airbag to suite these purposes
