Mercedes debuts airbag-laden S-Class ESF hybrid concept
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jun 9th 2009 6:44PM
posted Jun 9th 2009 6:44PM
Apparently not content to simply build a hybrid vehicle that's both energy-efficient and luxurious, Mercedes has now gone the extra mile with its new 2009 S-Class ESF concept, which packs more than a dozen different safety features including airbags inside and out. That latter outside-the-car airbag is actually a giant braking bag that deploys under the car when it "senses an imminent crash," which not only creates some added friction to slow the car down, but lifts the front of the car up about 80mm to compensate for brake dive. Other uncommon safety features include curtain airbags between the seats, airbags in the seatbelts, reflective tires, and "inflatable metal structures" throughout the vehicle, which apparently both saves space and increases crash protection. Unfortunately, there's no word on any further improvements to the hybrid side of things, but Mercedes' existing S400 Hybrid isn't exactly too shabby of a place to begin with.
[Via Autoblog]
[Via Autoblog]
Woo .. bonus as a floatation device .. has merit ..
It would be better if this car had a propulsion/mechanical unit that shoots you up into the air 10 feet to avoid the other car, then come crashing down on it for good show!
I'd rather fall 10 feet and feel the effects of gravity than feel the effect of my internal organs hittin my rib cage going from 60mph to 0 in a crumple zone the size of that hood.. what 4 feet?
Sorry to be *that guy* but I had to check this.
Dropping from 10 feet up (ground to wheel-bottoms), you'll hit the ground at about 17 mph (vertical speed). Giving you another foot to stop (suspension and seat compression), you'll have about 33 Joules to dissipate per kilogram that you weigh. (U=mgh)
From 60 mph, you'll have about 360 J/kg. (K=½mv²)
So if you stop from 60 mph in four feet, you shed about 90 J/kg-ft, about three times as much as if you dropped from ten feet and stopped in another one.
So yeah, you *would* rather.
Disclaimer: this is a massive simplification. It treats you as just a free body with no floppiness or preference between, say, spine compression and whiplash. It assumes constant force applied to stop you—which is way wrong—and several other things.
Nevertheless, a factor of 3 is pretty safe, so you're probably still right.
Would love to see the under-the-car airbag in action.
just run over your girlfriend.
for the last time, i am NOT running over your mom!
I'd like to see this "inflatable metal" in a computer or something, lol
Fenderbender: $800 in repairs. $2500 in braking bag replacement.
Chump change for a retired General like myself...
Besides, its the idiot in the tuner or SUV that causes the damage that will pay $$$
Just make sure you add on the digital Accident-cam when you order the package.. insurance will love you for that.
Big brother much?
general must not be in a no fault state
I love the No-fault insurance here... Some idiot in a taxi or a loser who just bought a 1986 honda accord rear ends me at a stop light I either eat the cost of a bumper replacement or have my insurance jack up my rates...
No fault.. BAH! ... Idiot its YOUR FAULT!
I don't see your logic General....
The airbag below the car prevents the front end from making a nose dive from the inertia. The reason you'd be stopping like this would be because the driver of said vehicle would be the one causing the accident cause he'd be rear-ending the vehicle, not the other way around.
Being said, I despise your tuner comment. Are 'tuners' always bad drivers? My DD is the ultimate tuner car, a '99 Civic Si, and baby that thing. I drive the speed limit to make sure that thing stays accident free.
"We've got a hovercraft..."
Exterior airbag that deploys BEFORE a crash? How exactly does the car parse the detection of an 'imminent' impact? Seems like it would be prone to a lot of potentially dangerous false deployments. Also, many unnecessary deployments from actual imminent impacts, but from commonly encountered nuisance items like blowing cardboard, styrofoam, shrubbery in road, or garbage bags. How does it determine the difference between a possibly lethal boulder and something like a simple bush or a garbage bag of foam peanuts?
Also, what would that mean to someone behind me in car equipped with external bags if I popped a small aluminum foil confetti chaff cloud out the back of mine? Inquiring (and moderately evil) minds want to know!
Maybe there a sensors in the bumper that detect how near/ far the next object is. This is tied to the speedometer which gauges speed. The two numbers combine in some sort of computer which knows how the distance it takes the car to stop at any speed. If the computer recognizes the car cannot stop under regular effort in time, the bag in front deploys.
that makes sense. im sure the engineers thought of a way similar to he reply above me ------/\
can we get a edit button in here, please? engadget?
Mercedes has had accident detection for a while now (although with out the brake bag it just braces the car more and the seat belts). it rarely seems to misfire. it uses a combo of radar, driver input (ie slamming on the brakes or swerving), and sensors like g forces etc.
@Clever: No!
Not sure under the car airbag is a good choice. They would be much better off constructing shocks/struts on the front wheel that would LOCK at full height preventing the car from nose diving. Would achieve the same effect and would be better implemented. The device would detect how hard/fast the brake pedal is depressed and would activate nearly instantaneously if not faster than the airbag would. If I ever see this device on any vehicle, especially Mercedes - I will be suing.
I think it's more about the extra friction. Think about how much friction you would have if instead of having 4 tires on the ground you had a rubber pad the size of the entire underbody.
Well this is an excellent example of minds ability to create! I enjoy knowing...There are also seat bolsters that can move the occupants a couple of inches away from the doors in case of a side impact, metal beams that can actually inflate - thereby cutting weight and saving space on impact beams - and reflective tires!
Mercedes has a pre-collision system called PRE-SAFE. It does exactly what you think it does: monitors the vehicles front and rear sensors and when it detects an "imminent" impact, things automatically adjust like the tightening of seatbelts, and the ejecting of headrests, etc to make the impact less severe on occupants. Mercedes has always had a commitment to safety; it is one of their areas of expertise. This concept takes that to the extreme.
Dude. This things are still missing ejector seats for annoying shotguns.
That apart, awesome. I like looking at new Mercs - their new stuff is usually the industry standard in 5-10 years.
that paint job sucks
Was just about to say the same thing. God that thing is fugly. Mercedes usually has pretty good design IMO - but this one looks like some modders had a bad day.
dude, sarcasm?
lol yeh right, i'd hate to see the costs of replacing all those bags in a minor collision. expect your insurance rates to go through the roof for this thing.
btw how about fixing brake dive so the suspension doesn't suck and fall 80mm in a sudden break.
This is obviously for people who have more money than lives.
that ought to be fairly simple .. they have electronic stability control (ok thats lateral stiffening of the suspension) .. why not just "stiffen" up the front shock absorbers based on braking inertia
ill car, hopefully tech like this will save lives in the future