Japanese manufacturing firm Toyoda Gosei has unveiled a bizarre new concept that could put your rubber bumper-shield to shame.
At the Tokyo Motor Show, the company showed off a new dent-proof car, Flesby II – and, the outside of the vehicle is covered in undulating airbags.
According to Toyoda Gosei, the design uses shape-shifting rubber that moves with electric power to protect the exterior from collisions, rather than relying solely on traditional placement inside the car.
Japanese manufacturing firm Toyoda Gosei has unveiled a bizarre new concept that could put your rubber bumper-shield to shame. The outside of the vehicle, dubbed Flesby II, is covered in undulating airbags
The 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.
Footage from the auto show reveal how the bulbous rubber panels expand and contract, almost as though the car were breathing.
It also has lights on the wheels and front.
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.
The inside of the ultra-compact car is lined with ‘softly-textured material,’ according to the firm. It also contains LED lighting, to create a ‘soothing space’
The car is still in the concept phase, but Toyoda Gosei estimates it could come to life around the year 2030.
The inside of the ultra-compact car is lined with ‘softly-textured material,’ according to the firm.
It also contains LED lighting, to create a ‘soothing space.’
With airbags on the outside, the car aims to make driving safer for both the rider and pedestrians, by absorbing the impact to minimize damage in a collision.
According to Toyoda Gosei, the design uses shape-shifting rubber that moves with electric power to protect the exterior from collisions, rather than relying solely on traditional placement inside the car