AI full-body airbag to better protect aircraft in crashes

Engineers at the BITS Pilani campus in Dubai are pursuing an obvious but rather unusual idea with their AI-based airbag protection system for airplanes, Project Rebirth. In the event of an unavoidable accident, the system is designed to envelop the outer areas of the aircraft in giant airbags, preventing the aircraft from structurally breaking apart and thus preventing more serious consequences. An artificial intelligence (AI) uses various aircraft and flight parameters to determine when the airbag should deploy.

The concept of engineers Eshel Wasim and Dharsan Srinivasan envisages that an AI predicts an imminent crash based on sensor data and then triggers the airbag system automatically. For this purpose, various parameters of the aircraft and the flight are monitored, such as altitude, temperature, speed, and engine status. The activities of the pilot are also used by the AI to detect a possible impending accident.

Giant airbags with “intelligent” fluid

In order for the airbags to be deployed on the outside of the aircraft, it must be flying at an altitude of less than 3,000 feet (approx. 914.4 m). Then, triggered by the AI within two seconds, huge airbags deploy on the nose, fuselage, and tail. The airbags, which are to consist of several layers of Kevlar, TPU, and the high-performance fiber Zylon for reinforcement, also contain a non-Newtonian fluid whose viscosity changes depending on the force acting on it and which absorbs accordingly. The system as a whole should significantly reduce the impact and prevent structural damage to the aircraft, which could cause the kerosene tanks to burst into flames, for example. Computer simulations show that the system can reduce an impact by more than 60 percent. The engineers emphasize that the AI system can be overridden by the pilot at any time.

However, before an impact occurs, the AI attempts to stabilize the aircraft with reverse thrust, provided the engines are still functional. If this is not the case, throttle jets kick in to reduce the speed of the aircraft and restore its flight stability so that an emergency landing can be made if necessary. The airbags should not hinder the landing gear and thus a controlled landing of the aircraft.

Concept model with basic functions

The project team has created a concept model on a scale of 1:12, which is equipped with appropriate sensors. The model should already have the basic safety functions and react to changes in speed, vibration, and forces by triggering the safety systems using AI.

The engineers intend to extend their concept to full-size machines. Tests in wind tunnels and crash simulations are then planned. The aim is to work together with aircraft manufacturers and scientific laboratories.

However, the safety concept for aviation is not entirely uncontroversial. Experts consider the airbag safety system for airplanes to be overkill, as accidents in which the system could be used are extremely rare. In return, however, a very heavy system would have to be installed in an aircraft, which also poses challenges in the design of the aircraft and results in higher fuel consumption.

(olb)