[SPONSORED REPORTS] Hyundai Mobis strives to protect drivers
![Hyundai Mobis tests its air bag using a launching sled and test dummies. [HYUNDAI MOBIS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2020/11/01/4d4fd7ef-3ec7-4d37-a65b-280fb8657423.jpg)
Hyundai Mobis tests its air bag using a launching sled and test dummies. [HYUNDAI MOBIS]
As self-driving technology unavoidably includes active safety systems, Hyundai Mobis is shifting its focus to combining passive and active systems. Taking safety technology even further by making it smart, Hyundai Mobis is establishing itself in the self-driving automobile market.
Hyundai Mobis first began producing air bags in 2002, its first foray into passive safety systems. Now, the automobile parts maker produces air bags for passenger seats and back-row seats as well as more specialized air bags to protect the knees.
It also produces air bag components including cushions and impact sensors.
With its history of air bag production, Hyundai Mobis was the first company to design a roof-mounted air bag in 2017. The roof air bag system is able to cover the entire roof of the vehicle within 0.08 seconds.
The air bag system’s development was possible because of Hyundai Mobis’ experience and interest in tackling the increasing number of accidents involving passengers being ejected out of sunroofs, evident in the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report from 2000 to 2015.
Besides air bags, Hyundai Mobis’ passive safety device revamp is still undergoing.
In 2013, Hyundai Mobis was the first company in Korea to commercialize a smart version of traditional seatbelts that automatically tighten when the vehicle takes a sharp turn or makes a sudden stop, ensuring passengers remain in their seats.
The combination of active and passive safety systems gained momentum with the successful development of the smart seatbelt, dubbed the Active Seat Belt.
The collaboration work with Hyundai Motors enabled Hyundai Mobis to jointly develop an incorporated passenger protection control device, which it plans to launch next year.
The control device functions as an all-in-one safety mechanism. When the external camera and radar sense the danger, the Active Seat Belt vibrates and tightens to indicate oncoming danger while an automatic emergency brake engages to slow down the vehicle.
Considering Hyundai Mobis was a late starter in comparison to its rivals, its exponential technological growth may seem surprising.
Hyundai Mobis’ considerable in-house production capability made it possible for the parts maker to very quickly develop new technology. For instance, Hyundai Mobis developed the world’s first headlamp that does not hinder the car’s vision. Additionally, Hyundai Mobis also introduced a preview suspension system last year that adjusts the car’s general height depending on navigational data.
With its competitiveness in safety technology, Hyundai Mobis’ goal is to mark its presence in numerous global automobile companies.
By Ahn Tae-lahm [ahn.taelahm@joongang.co.kr]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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