ZF LIFETEC’s Active Heel Airbag: How about an airbag for your feet?
A first-of-its-kind technology, the active heel airbag from ZF LIFETEC enhances protection for the front seat occupants against foot injuries, by complementing the functioning of the knee airbag.
In premium cars these days, knee airbags complement the frontal restraint system consisting of the seat belt and front airbag. They work by transferring the restraint energy into the vehicle via the occupant’s knee and thighs. This warrants safe positioning of her feet in the footwell, especially when the seats are moved backwards into comfort positions.
It is in this regard that the risk of injuries to the heels of the front passengers comes to spotlight. Although such injuries to feet are often not life-threatening, they can still cause long-term damage to the musculoskeletal system.
To address this, ZF has come up with an airbag system for the protection of heels. The idea is to create a stable impact point for the heels even with the seats are in relaxed positions. That’s because pushing the seats backwards increases the distance between the heels and the impact point. This can cause the legs to move uncontrollably, thereby rendering the knee airbag ineffective.
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Harald Lutz, head of development at ZF LIFETEC, explains, “If the heel strike point is missing, the knees cannot be effectively deployed into the airbag and the knee airbag is less effective”. The Active Heel Airbag helps to ensure an adequate heel impact point even in more comfortable seating positions, he notes.
Further, the heel airbag can be activated by a “comfort position” button or by camera-based interior monitoring of the driver, in case of assisted driving. This would create a uniform contact surface for the heel in the event of a crash. This can further avert injuries like foot twisting, say when the occupant’s foot hits any edge.
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ZF says that the Active Heel Airbag will be ready for commercial adoption by automakers in 2028. Compact design of the system doesn’t require much of space in the footwell. This makes integration easier for any kinds of passenger cars, the company notes.
