In&Motion announce upper body ‘Stan’ airbag rucksack

MOTORCYCLE, ski and equine safety company In&Motion has announced a new type of airbag rucksack that deploys to protect the spine, shoulders, and head.

The unusual-looking system is designed for use by cyclists, although it is not hard to imagine a similar design being developed to help motorcyclists too. The system features a similar storage capacity to that found in a conventional rucksack. However, this system also features an upper body airbag, with all the operational systems contained within the backpack.

Linked up to the In&Motion mobile app, the system deploys in 0.1 seconds, enveloping most of the user's upper body within the airbag. The system is claimed to hugely reduce the initial shock of a head impact when compared to simply using a cycle helmet, with initial deceleration reduced by up to 200 percent.

In&Motion is claiming this softer blow to the head could reduce the risk of head trauma by up to 80%, a handy reduction given that the firm calculates head injuries in three out of four bicycle-related crash deaths.

The smoother line on the graph is an impact using the rucksack

Could the In&Motion Stan backpack be adapted for motorcycle riders?

In theory, the Stan could indeed be tweaked to be used by motorcycle riders, with a wider airbag design introduced to cover the rider’s helmet, and not simply their head. The system would need to be updated to take into account the speed of the bike and the different ways powered two-wheelers crash, although, with an existing wealth of data in that area, that should be a fairly simple task.

In&Motion are currently asking for volunteers to test the system in the real world, more information can be found on the firm’s website.

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