Tokyo concept car aims to fend off dents with external airbags

TOYODA GOSEI

25/10/2017 13:59

TOKYO, Oct 25 (Reuters) - A concept car equipped with 
external airbags to protect against fender benders is raising 
eyebrows at the Tokyo Motor Show. 
    The body panels of the Flesby II ultra-compact vehicle are 
covered by a soft, next-generation rubber that can absorb the 
impact of a collision. 
    "We put airbags, which are mainly employed inside the car, 
on its exterior, such as its hood or fender, to protect the 
entire body," Takashi Ishikawa, managing officer of Toyoda Gosei 
Co, said on Wednesday. 
    Toyoda Gosei, a manufacturer of rubber and plastic 
automotive parts and LEDs, came up with the idea for the concept 
car in 2013. 
    The company said on its website the rubber is able to move 
with electric power and change the shape of the car body. 
    LED lights projected onto the rubber also allow the driver 
to communicate with pedestrians and other vehicles, the company 
said. 
    "In the event of contact with a pedestrian, the soft body 
serves a safety function in absorbing the impact," the company 
said. 
 
 (Reporting by Reuters Televison, editing by Darren Schuettler) 
 ((darren.schuettler@thomsonreuters.com; +65 6870 3278;)) 
 
Keywords: AUTOSHOW TOKYO/BOUNCY