Airbags adapated to protect Japanese pensioners from falls
Last updated 9/25/2008 12:53:49 PM
Airbags adapated to protect Japanese pensioners from falls
Airbags, found mainly behind the wheel, are now cushioning Japan's growing elderly population from accidents off the road as well.
Designed by a Japanese company, Prop Co, the airbag for seniors is placed behind the head and hips, inflating in fractions of a second when a backwards fall is detected.
The 1.1 kg (2.4 lb), gas-filled units rapidly inflate, cushioning the impact for a wearer who's about to hit the ground.
Priced at around 148,000 yen - around six hundred and thirty pounds, the airbags do not protect when falling forward, but Prop Co. President Mitsuya Uchida said they may still reduce fractures caused by falls as well as help people afflicted with epileptic seizures.
"We have elderly and disabled customers in mind with the airbag, as well as epileptics," he said, noting the cost was less than an extended hospital stay.
The airbags, unveiled at an industry show, are the latest product in the world's No.2 economy aimed at a fast greying population where 40 percent will be aged 65 or older by mid-century.
Source: www.reuters.com