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March 7, 2003 — You could say MEMS has a vested interest in motorcycle safety.
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An Italian protective sports clothing company and an Israeli technology firm are in the final stages of developing the D-Air system, a vest that contains three air bags and gas generators to protect a motorcycle rider’s back, neck and chest in the event of an accident. The air bags, governed by a system that includes MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes, deploy into a protective balloon-shaped cushion by breaking through the vest’s seams.
Although such a product is likely to launch in Europe before the United States, a U.S. trade group representing motorcyclists is curbing its enthusiasm. The American Motorcyclist Association endorses safety through education before technology.
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Merhav AAP Ltd. of Israel, which holds U.S. and Israeli patents for the technology, said the D-Air is designed by Italian motorcycle garment maker Dainese but integrates Merhav’s Advanced Airbag System for Motorcycle Riders (AASMR). The AASMR inflates in about 30 milliseconds and maintains pressure for up to 20 seconds.
The second technological platform also developed by Merhav is called STM, or Sensing, Triggering and Memory. The electronic management system, mounted on the motorcycle and containing several MEMS sensors, constantly monitors data and triggers the air bags via dedicated wireless link under certain conditions, such as hitting a car or being hit by one. The STM, which provides information to a rider on a display unit, also serves as a “black box,” which records the final seconds before a crash.
While there are several patents covering air bags for motorcyclists, the company said, they all provide only relatively thin cushioning that cannot properly deflect or disperse the forces of impact on a rider.
Both firms are involved in final product testing, and D-Air should be launched commercially in Europe late this year or early next with a price tag of at least $1,000. A U.S. launch is not likely until regulatory issues are worked out.
“Dainese has done a great job in designing such a garment and we look forward to new models of garments for the AASMR,” said Max Davidson, Merhav’s chief executive.
Delaying the D-Air’s U.S. arrival doesn’t bother Tom Lindsey, spokesman for the American Motorcyclist Association. He recommends that before any new technology is launched, federal transportation officials perform a comprehensive study of motorcycle accident data to determine the types and causes of crashes. He said such a study has not been published in two decades.
“Our basic concern is whether it’s motorcycle air bags or any other of the latest and greatest safety technologies, they tend to be a distraction from what really prevents injuries to motorcyclists,” he said. “Take our advice: Sign up for a motorcycle safety course.”
MEMS analyst Marlene Bourne wonders whether such a device will enjoy mass acceptance, especially among motorcyclists who pride themselves on rugged individualism. But she’s intrigued by Merhav’s other applications: It’s developing advanced air bag systems for horseback riders and the elderly.
“In sleek little jumping outfits, it’s not terribly attractive, but this is a first-generation thing — they might get into really cool microfibers,” said Bourne, senior analyst for In-Stat/MDR.
Bourne said it will be a long time before wearable air bags rise to the high bar set by their automotive counterparts, but she applauds the innovative thinking.
“It’s a niche thing. I don’t see this as something that you’ll have everybody embracing,” she said. “But that’s where technology always starts: It starts with an interesting niche and trickles down to something else.”