Abstract

Vehicle accidents have become the most significant problem on roads within South Africa. These accidents could result in mild to severe damage to the vehicles (sometimes purchased expensively) and/or in the loss of human life. Given the advances in pneumatics technology and automation, and the need to boost the safety capacities of vehicles to resist and limit damage to frontal collisions, this study proposes a sensor-aided pneumatic bumper activation system to reduce the impact force during a vehicle crash.

We develop and analyze system-based model build-up to improve crashworthiness. The proposed system consists of a sensor transmitter, receiver unit, control unit, and bumper, and the proposed design is validated through simulation studies.

The most important finding from this study was the improvement of crashworthiness in the case of a full-frontal collision between a vehicle and a barrier through the combination of the vehicle dynamics control systems with an extendable bumper. As obstacles approach the vehicle, with a control signal in place, the electronic circuit instantly activates the bumper to absorb the impact and keep it from getting too close to the vehicle's body. When the extendable bumper is deployed, the occupant's longitudinal displacement and acceleration are greatly reduced.

The cost of high-end cars can be reduced by adopting this concept and providing equivalent levels of safety.  Also, the importance of pneumatics technology in automation, modern machine shops, and space robots is emphasized.