GP drivers have become popular, do you know about airbag suits? A star, Dennis who is good?

In addition to causing pain and shadow, the serious situation is accompanied by the danger of life. To this end, an airbag suit designed specifically for the Cavaliers came into being.

Speaking of airbag suits, although people who know it are not necessarily many, you must know that it has become the standard for all MotoGP drivers in the 2018 season. This is enough to prove its safety protection for the rider.

Airbag clothing brand

At present, there are very few manufacturers based on airbags in the world. Among them, Alpinestars (A star) and Dainese (Dennis) are the best in this market. The products they currently sell are also the most advanced motorcycle riding airbags available on the market.

â–²Spidi DPS airbag system

In addition, manufacturers such as Spidi and RS Taichi have similar products, but their products are based on cable-type sensors, which require a safety rope between the driver and the vehicle. In addition, the coverage of the airbag is relatively small, mainly based on the protection of the neck. Although the cost is low, it cannot meet the requirements of MotoGP.

Different from the previous need to connect the safety line between the rider and the vehicle to run and deploy, A star and Dennis' airbag package have realized the combination of hardware and software, and can provide accurate and effective working state system.

Take A-star Tech-air and Dennis' D-air airbag system as an example. The two systems operate completely independently and can be used on any motorcycle (D-air built-in work chip).

Although D-Air and Tech-Air use different proprietary technologies, both systems have one thing in common. That is, each system is equipped with a bladder vest that is mounted under a specially designed jacket or garment.

In the event of a collision, the system will expand in the extremely short time around the rider's collarbone, ribs and torso for protection.

â–²Dennis D-air system

Principle of airbag suit

In the airbag suit, there are accelerometers, GPS, and multiple gyroscopes. These sensors continuously transmit data to the ECU (airbag service computer), which is transmitted about 1000 times per second. In addition, the deployment of multiple sensors prevents false triggering and ensures triggering when needed.

The presence of the GPS system allows the ECU to know the current speed of the motorcycle and whether to trigger based on that speed to control the minimum trigger speed.

Thanks to advanced materials, the airbag can expand in a short time. Dennis's D-air has been designed with numerous "microwires". This is also one of the 35 patents in the Dainese airbag system.

Millions of filaments on either side of the airbag, after detecting a hazard, can expand rapidly within 45 milliseconds and remain evenly distributed.

Two major categories of airbag suits

Like most top-of-the-line cycling gear, the D-Air airbag system and Tech-Air were originally developed and used for MotoGP, followed by a street version.

2018 is the year in which the MotoGP full range of events (MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3) are mandatory for airbags.

The airbag leather garment needs to protect the driver's collarbone and shoulders. The back protection is left to the space chosen by the manufacturer and the driver. If the back airbag is used, the leather jacket with the back airbag must be able to completely protect the spine.

Therefore, the street version and the track version of the airbag suit provided by A Star and Dennis are many different. The same brand, street version, track version will be different.

Dennis's D-air street version mainly provides protection for the rider's chest, as the organs in the chest are often damaged during traffic accidents in the street. The D-air track version focuses on protecting the rider's ribs and collarbone. Because of the crash on the track, the ribs and collarbone are the most vulnerable locations.

â–²A star street version Tech-air

Similarly, the Tech-Air from A-Star also has two versions of the street and the track. The track version can be easily plugged into the chip, and the system firmware can be changed from the track version to the street version, but the street version cannot change its firmware. After an accident is detected, Tech-Air will initiate protection within 45 milliseconds.

Since the track system is not expected to have any form of low speed accidents, the speed trigger mechanism. The street version system is more complicated.

When the Tech-Air Street Edition realized that the Cavaliers might be hit by a car without moving, it took only 25 milliseconds to trigger the airbag. If you are rear-ended in the event of a traffic light such as parking, the Tech-Air street system can also trigger quickly.

Airbag suit price

These airbag systems used to be used only by two rounds of elites, but as technology advances, their high prices will steadily decline.

The street version of the A-Star Tech-Air airbag system has a suggested retail price of $1,149.95 (a European price of approximately $7,257). Obviously, this figure is not close to the people. Most importantly, it may be inconvenient to wear it because it is more suitable for use in grand competitions.

Then there is maintenance. To charge the argon tank, you need to return the garment to A Star, which costs 299.99 US dollars (about 1886 yuan).

In addition, the manufacturer recommends that Tech-Air users provide maintenance services for their equipment every two years. This task can be handled by scheduling an appointment or sending the equipment to Alpinestars' headquarters for $99.99.

Like A-Star, Dennis's products need to be sent to the factory for charging and every five years for maintenance, both of which cost hundreds of dollars.

Compared to the two brands, it is clear that the A-star Tech-Air vest is relatively cost-effective because it can be used with any compatible Tech-Air jacket, not with the D-Air system, which can only be built into the jacket.