jason
09-25-2008, 08:16 AM
A Japanese company has come up with a novel solution to a growing problem for Japan's burgeoning army of pensioners - airbags for elderly pedestrians.
Prop, a Tokyo-based company, said it has created an airbag that can inflate in 0.1 seconds if it starts moving quickly towards the ground.
The device is strapped around the body - giving protection to the head and hips.
However, the cushions that suddenly inflate only work if the fall victim slides backwards.
Mitsuya Uchida, the president of Prop, said the invention was targeted at old people with epilepsy, who were particularly vulnerable to sudden - and dangerous - falls.
The cushions weigh 2-and-a-half pounds each and are tied around the waist. They are activated by electric sensors which can feel a sudden movement.
As soon as the alarm is set off, 15 litres of compressed air are injected into the inflatable pads - puffing them up to protect the most vulnerable parts of the body.
But with a £700 price tag, the new invention is only available for those with a big pension - or rich children with a strong sense of parental duty.
The grey yen has provided a growing market in Japan - with almost 22 per cent of the population over the age of 65, it can afford a little more security.
LINK (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3076551/Japanese-company-makes-airbags-for-the-elderly.html)
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7057/airbag220extra998315fzx7.jpg
Prop, a Tokyo-based company, said it has created an airbag that can inflate in 0.1 seconds if it starts moving quickly towards the ground.
The device is strapped around the body - giving protection to the head and hips.
However, the cushions that suddenly inflate only work if the fall victim slides backwards.
Mitsuya Uchida, the president of Prop, said the invention was targeted at old people with epilepsy, who were particularly vulnerable to sudden - and dangerous - falls.
The cushions weigh 2-and-a-half pounds each and are tied around the waist. They are activated by electric sensors which can feel a sudden movement.
As soon as the alarm is set off, 15 litres of compressed air are injected into the inflatable pads - puffing them up to protect the most vulnerable parts of the body.
But with a £700 price tag, the new invention is only available for those with a big pension - or rich children with a strong sense of parental duty.
The grey yen has provided a growing market in Japan - with almost 22 per cent of the population over the age of 65, it can afford a little more security.
LINK (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/3076551/Japanese-company-makes-airbags-for-the-elderly.html)
http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/7057/airbag220extra998315fzx7.jpg