Fabric car seat sensors could make airbags safer

Bebop's OCS uses smart fabric containing sensors that can determine who is sitting in the car seat and what position they are in.

If they go off at the wrong time, airbags can do more harm than good. But now, Bebop’s occupant classification system (OCS) uses smart fabric containing sensors that can determine who is sitting in the car seat and what position they are in, so that airbags can be used more safely.

Previous OCS systems use bladders, hoses and pressure sensors to estimate the weight on the seat, but infant car seats, grocery shopping or luggage can easily confuse them. Instead, BeBop’s smart fabric takes continuous seat pressure images, which provide not only the weight and size of the occupant but also whether they are leaning forward or to one side, and whether their legs are crossed or not. It can also detect the rigid bottom of a child booster seat, ensuring that the airbag won’t be deployed.

We have already seen a smart, self-installing car safety seat, how else could technology be used to improve safety for car passengers?