External airbag could protect pedestrians and cyclists

The Scandinavian car company has integrated an airbag beneath the bonnet of its 2013 V40 vehicle, which goes into production in May.

Thomas Broberg, senior technical advisor at Volvo, told The Engineer: ‘We’re using airbag technology to have a cushioning effect on the outside of the vehicle to try and protect pedestrians.’

The external airbag, which was developed in Sweden at Volvo’s R&D facility, fully inflates in less than a second and is most effective in collisions involving cars travelling between 12mph and 31mph.

The airbag is deployed when sensors in the front bumper register any physical contact between the car and a pedestrian or a cyclist.

Upon impact, the rear end of the bonnet is released and elevated four inches by the deploying airbag, which inflates to cover the area under the raised bonnet, in addition to approximately one-third of the windscreen and the lower part of the steel pillars that support the windscreen.