Airbag hip protector

The proliferation of airbag technology has seen it move from car steering wheels to dashboards...and now belts. The Hip'Air is the first wearable airbag to prevent people from injuring their hips should they fall.

If sensors within the device decide that the wearer is falling, bags that protect the hips are deployed in milliseconds.

The human airbag is designed for the elderly – almost 22 per cent of Japan’s population is over 65.

The use of airbags now extends well beyond those built into the steering wheel of every new car; motorcycle clothing can now incorporate an airbag that protects the collarbone and neck, and car manufacturers have developed a system that inflates on the exterior of a vehicle’s bonnet to protect pedestrians in the event of a collision.