14 DAY TRIAL // Airbags are a favored method of trauma prevention in most modern vehicles, even if they will never replace seat belts. There can always be improvement, however, and that is what a German project sought.
German trauma surgeon Dr. Wolfgang Müller-Adam is the leader of a team that invented something called the i Gel protective system.
In a nutshell, it is a full-body airbag. Said to be the best wearable airbag ever made. Not that it's saying much considering how few of those there are.
Then again, there don't need to be many as long as they are done right, and we dare say that the designers could have done worse than use hedgehogs as an example.
True, those little rodents are far from pleasant to stroke when they draw in on themselves, but the protection of their thorny hide cannot be denied.
The i Gel protective system
The airbag system is similar to all others in that it uses a series of MEMS sensors (microelectromechanical systems) to detect crash-level forces and activate the inflation automatically.
Instead of it being just one vest, however, that would only wrap around the torso, the i Gel system uses 20 individual airbags to protect the whole body.
The number can vary depending on the body size of the recipient, but 20 is the maximum needed in order to wrap around the head, torso and lower body.
When the sensors detect a crash, all the bags inflate at once, but that is not all they do. The shape and the way they are placed force the torso and lower body into a fetal-style ball. This practically turns the wearer into a large airbag ball that can mitigate almost any injury.
The only possible drawback would be that the i Gel airbag suit would be quite obvious on you, not fashionable at all. But even so, it could be a good safety measure while taking and giving motorcycle riding lessons.
All the airbags are nitrogen-activated and should withstand any crash, whether with the ground or with an opposing vehicle, even a wall. Sharp implements or warped metal might be a problem, but then again nothing is perfect.
Availability
Sadly, the i Gel system is only a concept for now, but Dr. Wolfgang Müller-Adam believes he can get one ready in a year. Alas, with how fickle funds seem to be, it could take as much as two years. The price is uncertain as well.
