• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.22-27
• /
• 2019

Bikers can be subjected to accidents during their bicycling. Helmets are only good, if any, for their head protection. A wearable airbag can protect the human neck area if it is properly designed. This airbag system is composed of an inflater and an airbag. The inflater contains a pressurized gas cylinder and a piercing device. The airbag is an inflatable fabric surrounding the human neck. When a bicycle accident happens, a sensor captures the motion of the biker and a microcomputer sends a signal to open a valve in the inflator to supply the pressurized gas to the airbag. An important issue of this system is that the airbag should be quickly inflated to protect the human neck. This paper deals with the airbag inflation time simulation and some issues to design a wearable airbag system. Also, a prototype was tested to show its feasibility using a human dummy mounted on a running cart.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
• /
• v.35 no.2
• /
• pp.94-99
• /
• 2020

Bikers can be subjected to injuries from unexpected accidents even if they wear basic helmets. A properly designed airbag can efficiently protect the critical areas of the human body. This study introduces a wearable smart airbag system using machine learning techniques to protect human neck and shoulders. When a bicycle accident happens, a microprocessor analyzes the biker's motion data to recognize if it is a critical accident by comparing with accident classification models. These models are trained by a variety of possible accidents through machine learning techniques, like k-means and SVM methods. When the microprocessor decides it is a critical accident, it issues an actuation signal for the gas inflater to inflate the airbag. A protype of the wearable smart airbag with the machine learning techniques is developed and its performance is tested using a human dummy mounted on a moving cart.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.25-33
• /
• 2021

This paper presents the development process for airbag safety devices fitted in motorcyclists' garments. Motorcycle riders often sustain multiple injuries in crashes since rider post-impact kinematics depend on several variables. This study proposes a newly inflatable safety system connected to the motorcycle by a cable. An airbag device with a mechanical triggering system is deployed when the cable detaches from its mounting clip. Airbag filling tests are performed to determine the mixing ratio of compressed gases with the severance of temperature. To estimate the airbag effectiveness to reduce riders' injuries, numerical analysis is performed using the finite element method. A comparative analysis (i.e., with and without the chosen device) was conducted to evaluate its protective efficacy. Prototype garments based on the proposed design have been created and have undergone sled tests. The proposed safety device could also be beneficial in accidents during other sports activities.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
• /
• v.22 no.3
• /
• pp.597-602
• /
• 2021

Even in the era of the 4th industrial revolution, the prevention of industrial accidents is still an important issue in industrial sites. In solving the problem of industrial safety, a product can be difficult to market if there is a lack of standard or method for a reliable performance evaluation. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a test method for a wearable airbag product for protecting the body from falls that was newly developed to respond to fall accidents in industrial sites. As a research method, reliable evaluation standards were developed and applied through four stages of the evaluation and development process (Step 1: Product review, Step 2: Data research, Step 3: Expert meeting, Step 4: Drawing evaluation standard). In addition, the impact force was evaluated according to the developed evaluation standard. The fall impact force obtained through the evaluation showed a reduction effect of approximately 96% compared to the existing impact force. Therefore, the fall impact force was reduced significantly when the airbag was applied. This will enable new convergence products to be launched on the market and produce an environment where industrial workers can work safely.