By Jhoo Dong-chan
Hyundai Mobis said Wednesday it has successfully developed the world’s first panorama sunroof airbag that is deployed from the vehicle’s ceiling to protect passengers in case of accidents.
The nation’s largest auto parts maker completed its own impact test for the airbag last month, and it is ready for mass production, according to Hyundai Mobis.
Hyundai Mobis added it has put its utmost efforts in developing airbag technology to improve passenger safety since it started mass-producing airbags in 2002, and the panorama sunroof airbag system is the first of its kind in the airbag industry.
“During this year’s International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles held in June, a number of global carmakers and government officials showed much interest in the Hyundai Mobis panorama sunroof airbag,” said a Hyundai Mobis official.
“Starting with the premium SUV market, Hyundai Mobis will promote the airbag in various vehicle segments to become one of the global airbag powerhouses.”
According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a total of 260 passengers have been thrown through vehicle sunroofs in rollover accidents between 2000 and 2015 in the United States.
The NHTSA has carried out various tests to study dangers related to the vehicle’s sunroof in case of accidents, and Hyundai Mobis said the panorama sunroof airbag will prevent passengers from being thrown out of the vehicle.
Installed along with the vehicle sunroof, the panorama sunroof airbag is deployed from the vehicle’s rear to the front, similar to the curtain airbag that is deployed from the vehicle’s side. If the vehicle sensor detects it’s in a rollover, it deploys the panorama sunroof airbag in 0.08 seconds to protect passengers. The airbag is deployed regardless of whether the sunroof is open or not.
Hyundai Mobis has submitted a total of 11 patent applications for related technologies.
An increasing number of cars have a panorama sunroof installed for leisurely purposes, and U.S.-based market researcher P&S Market Research said the global sunroof market is about 6 trillion won ($5.3 billion) in size as of 2015. The market is expected to grow 11 percent annually until 2022.