SAE Level 3 highly automated driving is possible on more vehicles and is approved in more countries. Drivers can turn away from traffic when the system is activated, provided that they can regain control of the vehicle at any time if asked to do so. With fully automated driving at Level 4, this restriction can be removed if the vehicle travelling certain sections of the route is completely autonomous. Drivers will also be able to change the seat position and backrest angle to a slightly more comfortable position if the automated driving system takes over the driving task.
Crash tests have shown that if a frontal collision occurs when the front passengers are in a comfortable seat position (backrest angle of around 40 degrees), the classic combination of seatbelt and airbag may no longer provide optimum occupant protection. In this position, the distance between the inflated airbag and the passenger is too great to provide optimal cushioning and occupant restraint. Automated driving requires a solution that provides a high level of safety for both positions. This is the idea behind the dual-circuit airbag developed by ZF. Simply put, the solution consists of an airbag designed for the standard seating position, which can also be increased when the passengers occupy a comfortable position.
The new driver's airbag also has two stages, which expand accordingly depending on whether the person behind the wheel is in an upright or comfortable position. This requires a two-stage gas generator, which ZF LIFETEC has developed for particularly large-volume airbags. It can fill two sizes of the driver's airbag integrated in the steering wheel in milliseconds.
The airbag control system is integrated into the car's electronics, so the car can detect which seat position the driver is in at the time of an accident and which stage of the gas generator needs to be triggered. In addition to seat tilt and weight sensors, other sensors, such as internal cameras, can be integrated into the system to more accurately assess the situation in the cabin.
Source: ZF
