General Motors has published a patent for an airbag that changes how it deploys based on vehicle passenger characteristics and seating positions. The patent, titled Vehicle Airbag System with Variable Deployment, describes an airbag that is “selectably inflatable,” with adjustable tethers that could modify its position, size or shape upon inflation.
The airbag would also have two or more air chambers, with tethers controlling the airflow between them. Toroidal in shape, the airbag could also change deployment direction and could deploy from other locations in the vehicle, including the roof or a side pillar.
Passenger characteristics, including size and height, would be determined by the airbag. The patent includes numerous images showing how the airbag would deploy.
