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ZF Introduces New Automotive Technology! Company Develops Airbag for Feet, Designed to Reduce Injuries in Accidents and Elevate the Level of Vehicle Safety.
For over a decade, the National Traffic Council (Contran) has required that all new vehicles sold in Brazil be equipped, at a minimum, with two standard airbags – usually for the driver and front passenger. In recent years, vehicle safety has advanced significantly, and it is now common to find models, including entry-level ones, with six or even eight airbags distributed throughout the vehicle. Now, with the advancement of automotive safety technologies, a new innovation can be incorporated into vehicles: the airbag for feet. Developed by ZF, the technology is designed to reduce injuries to the lower limbs of occupants in the event of collisions, further enhancing passenger protection.
Challenges for Implementation of the Airbag for Feet
Some well-known brands, such as Toyota, already use a knee airbag system, which is present in some cars like Yaris and Corolla.
With this product in accidents, the system complements the frontal restraint system, consisting of the seatbelt and frontal airbag, and can further improve occupant protection by transferring part of the impact to the vehicle through the knees and thighs. However, for this to be effective, stable foot positioning on the floor during a collision is essential.
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If, in the future, the seats can be adjusted further back during travel and placed in comfortable positions, passengers’ feet may end up being too far from the support points. This can increase the risk of injuries in case of accidents due to the uncontrolled movement of the legs.
Although many of these injuries are not fatal, they can impact the musculoskeletal system of the driver and front passenger in the long term. With this in mind and focusing on automotive innovation, ZF Lifetec developed the “Active Heel Airbag”, an airbag for feet designed to create a stable impact point at the heel, even when the seat is pulled back and the occupant is in a more relaxed position.
Understand How the New Automotive Technology Works
According to Harald Lutz, head of development at ZF LIFETEC, if the heel impact point is missing, the knees cannot engage the airbag effectively, and the knee airbag loses its efficiency. Consequently, the knee joints are unsupported, and the legs move uncontrollably.
Crash tests have shown that when the occupant adjusts the seat backward, it is necessary to generate a new impact point for the heel.
Although the risk of fatal injuries is low, there is a high probability of serious injuries to the legs and feet without this automotive innovation from ZF. The company’s system helps maintain an adequate impact point at the heel, even when passengers are in more comfortable positions.
Drivers Will Also Be Protected with Airbag for Feet
This automotive innovation can also be used on the driver’s side. In future applications, it could be automatically activated during assisted driving, via a comfort position button or an internal monitoring system based on cameras.
Installed close to the pedals, the airbag for feet creates a homogeneous contact surface for the heel during accidents. This further mitigates the risk of injuries caused by the twisting of the feet when they hit structures like the brake pedal.
The Active Heel Airbag can be incorporated directly into the foot space, without taking up any additional space. In the event of accidents, the automotive innovation inflates under the vehicle’s carpet, providing the necessary stability to the heel.
Furthermore, it can be installed in almost every vehicle model worldwide. For manufacturers wishing to offer seat configurations with extended comfort positions, ZF’s new technology will be available to the market starting in mid-2028.
Source: Motor1
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