Articles tagged with "Safety"
Demron lightweight, lead-free radiation-proof suit
May 9, 2008 Radiation Shield Technologies has been granted a new patent for Demron, the protective garment that shields users from alpha and beta radiation, gamma rays, x-rays, and other nuclear emissions. The flexible, cool, and lightweight suit provides all the protection of a lead apron with a new level of comfort, and without any dermal or inhalation risks. (read more...)
Tummy Shield seat belt keeps mother and baby safe
According to a recent study by the University of Michigan, if all pregnant women wore a car seatbelt, approximately 200 fetuses could be saved each year and an estimated 370 fetuses die as a result of car crashes each year in the United States. However, stretching a seat belt across a growing abdomen is not the easiest job, nor is the belt comfortable across your tummy. A team of Australian engineers has come up with a novel seat belt especially for pregnant women. Unlike traditional seat belts which fit across the abdomen, the Tummy Shield is designed to be worn around the thighs, therefore protecting the abdomen from trauma resulting from a car collision. (read more...)
Slim-line designer smoke alarm
May 6, 2008 Smoke alarms are an absolutely essential household item, and although we've seen some clever innovations in recent years including units that talk, models that clip onto light fittings and even plans for smell based alarms to aid those with hearing impairments, most designs remain a bit of an eyesore when it comes to complementing modern decor. The Silhouette™ by Kidde is looking to change this impression by virtue of its sleek, low-profile form that aims to better blend in with its surroundings. (read more...)
Three decades of enhanced vehicle safety: ABS turns 30
April 29, 2008 It's now three decades - and an untold number of near-misses - since Bosch introduced the first-production line electronic antilock braking system (ABS), a safety feature that's almost taken for granted in modern automobiles. (read more...)
Volkswagen demonstrates fully-automatic reverse parking system
Minor collisions as a result of parking mishaps are a common, costly and extremely frustrating occurrence and for several years auto manufacturers including BMW have indicated that solutions that take human error out of the equation are on the way. The latest news in the area comes from Volkswagen, which has demonstrated its “Park Assist Vision” system at this year’s Hanover Fair. The fully-automatic, remotely-operated self-parking system lets you get out of the car and watch as it backs itself into even the skinniest of perpendicular spaces, using cameras located in the left and right exterior mirrors to gauge the dimensions of the parking area available and communicate this information to the computerized steering and drive systems. (read more...)
Hurphy Durphy: added safety for kids in cars
April 17, 2008 The Hurphy Durphy Seat Belt Buckle Guard is a simple safety device that helps to keep capsules or infant seats anchored securely in the car by preventing accidental release of a seat belt. (read more...)
Volvo adds new massage seats to S80 and XC90 Executive models
April 14, 2008 Seats which include massaging and ventilation functions are among the new luxury trimmings Volvo has added to their S80 and XC90 Executive models. The new massage function consists of five inflatable pockets which have been built into the front seats and are pumped up and drained sequentially to create a wave-like motion that is adjustable at two levels. As well as massaging the lower back they also double up as a new lumbar support, while built-in ventilation is designed to keep the occupant’s body and clothing fresh. (read more...)
Seat Shield Reduces addresses potential health risk for motorcyclists
April 11, 2008 Are motorcyclists increasing the risk of prostate and colon cancer by exposing themselves to low frequency electromagnetic field (ELF EMF) radiation? The answer is yes according to Canadian inventor and author Randall Dale Chipkar, who has created a specially shielded motorcycle seat to minimize this potential danger. (read more...)
Innovative 12 outlet powerstrip with surge protection
April 8, 2008 Powerstrips have a design that seems to have been set in stone since the outset, but this offering from Tributaries not only looks like a powerstrip with attitude, it also comes with a host of features. Designed to easily accommodate wall-wart type power supplies, the T12 features 12 AC outlets, 8 of which can be rotated 90°. The remaining four fixed outlets have safety shutters and, for ease of use, the T12 has a resettable circuit breaker built in to the Power push-button. A red “PROTECTED” LED illuminates when the internal surge protection is functioning correctly while a 2nd blue “GROUNDED” LED illuminates when the outlet, into which the T12 is connected, is properly grounded. (read more...)
Thudguard safety hat for toddlers
In the UK, over 500,000 children's head injuries are recorded each year and part of this is due to bumps and falls as toddlers learn to walk. Thudguard is a lightweight safety hat for kids to keep them safe while the find their feet and reduce the severity of the everyday bumps and bruises. (read more...)
Splinternet debuts Dirty Bomb detector network
April 2, 2008 Splinternet Holdings is introducing a new "dirty bomb" detection system that manages a network of solid state GammaTect radiation sensors which send real-time notifications to command centers as soon as the presence of threat-level gamma rays is detected. (read more...)
Lane departure data collection system for commercial vehicles
March 31, 2008 Traffic management technology maker Iteris has released the first commercially available lane departure warning (LDW) data collection system for the heavy truck market. Safety Direct analyzes real-time data captured by Iteris’ LDW system and relays the information directly to fleet operators through integration with the truck’s existing fleet communications system. (read more...)
Pepper-spray may deter bears better than guns
March 27, 2008 New analysis from Brigham Young University suggests that those traveling in bear territory may be better off leaving the guns at home and packing pepper-spray instead. The bears, we expect, agree. (read more...)
CIRT provides more punch for urban search and rescue
Designed for urban search and rescue operations, Raytheon's Controlled Impact Rescue Tool (CIRT) uses concentrated shockwaves to penetrate concrete and rubble far more quickly than drilling, sawing or chipping. In a recent demonstration it penetrated a concrete barrier in 13 minutes, while competing methods achieved a similar result only after 29 minutes. (read more...)
ArmoRight: buoyancy vest meets lightweight body armor
March 25, 2008 Designed and engineered by a retired Navy SEAL, ArmoRight™ is a lightweight body armor system for use in marine environments that combines protection from from handgun, rifle and shrapnel threats with neutral or positive buoyancy capabilities. (read more...)
Baby Light & Clip: stress-free nail trimming
March 10, 2008, New parents have enough to worry about without trying to cut their newborn’s tiny fingernails with traditional clippers or scissors. It’s hard enough managing to get hold of their little fingers, let alone stressing about accidents and as baby’s fingernails grow quickly, you’ll have to trim them about once a week. (read more...)
Nestt: a car seat designed for the 21st century
March 6, 2008 Innovative industrial design company think/thing has designed a car seat which is not only functional but also ticks all the boxes in terms of beauty and design. The colorful egg-shaped Nestt is a safe and easy-to-use car seat for your baby or toddler. Made from a closed cell polymer material that's easy to clean, breathable and soft due to the incorporated air-pockets, the unique shock absorbent design provides side impact protection and features a cast-metal base which snaps into the car’s latch system and allows you to swivel the seat with one hand and rotate it towards the car door. If you’ve ever tried to put a squirming child into a car seat you will immediately see the benefits of being able to swivel them towards you to secure or release them. (read more...)
Mazda Advanced Safety Vehicle 4 to begin public road trials
February 23, 2008 Mazda has announced it will put new vehicle-to-vehicle safety technology to the test in the Hiroshima area from March 11 as part of the fourth phase of its Advanced Safety Vehicle project. (read more...)
Kiddo proximity alarm system offers parents peace of mind
February 19, 2008 Smart Target has developed a wireless proximity alarm system designed to boost child safety by helping parents quickly locate wayward young ones and keep them within a pre-set "virtual fence". (read more...)
Radar car collision prevention systems put to the test
February 15, 2008 British Motor Insurance Repair Research Centre Thatcham has put three of the car industry’s most hyped collision prevention technologies to the test – and they’ve emerged with flying colors. The Volvo City Safety, Mercedes Distronic Plus, and Honda CMBS use radar systems to mitigate and prevent low speed collisions – which, as a category, make up 75% of all motor accidents. (read more...)
KickTrak counts baby's kicks for you
February 11, 2008 The American Pregnancy Organization recommends that mothers-to- be pay close attention to the inter-uterine movements, rolls and kicks of their unborn child, as this is a good indication that all is well with their baby. If fetal movement changes significantly or there are less than ten movements within two hours it could be an indication of problems. Many obstetricians recommend daily monitoring, particularly from 26 weeks and there is good reason to do so, as stillbirths claim a shocking 70 lives per day in the United States. (read more...)
Boon's Flo faucet cover offers safety and fun at bathtime
January 29, 2008 The design team from Boon Inc. has developed a multi-functional faucet cover which meets a number of bath time needs: it may help prevent injury, has a cascading waterfall that tots will love and delivers bubbles at the touch of a button. (read more...)
Dainese tests electronically operated airbag system for motorcycle racing
More than 10 years in the making, the Dainese D-Air Racing system is a new type of rider protection technology that uses a series of accelerometers and electronically operated rate gyros to deploy an airbag mounted in the aerodynamic hump of a leather racing suit when things go wrong on the racetrack. Taking only 40 milliseconds to trigger, the system provides protection for the neck, shoulder and collarbone, cushioning the falling rider before they hit the ground. Airbags have recently appeared into the world of motorcycles with examples like Honda’s airbag-equipped Goldwing and ripcord-operated inflating jackets from Motoair and Hit-Air. The difference with the Dainese system - which is currently aimed specifically at the racing environment - is that it does not require any connection to the motorcycle, kicking-in during front low-side, back lowside or high-side falls. (read more...)
Ford Mondeo gets Adaptive Cruise Control
January 23, 2008 Ford has announced that its new Mondeo will get Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) technology as an option. The adoption of ACC technology, which has appeared previously in cars such as Volvo's S80 and more recently the new Jaguar XF, provides a significant safety boost by maintaining a pre-set distance from the vehicle in front and automatically decelerating when another vehicle enters this buffer zone. One the pre-set distance is renewed the vehicle then accelerates back to cruising speed. (read more...)
Calair wildfire protection system
January 17, 2007 Wildfire has long been a difficult and dangerous problem to manage and weather extremes around the globe in recent years have seen have seen large-scale fire disasters effect the lives of people from California to Greece. In Australia, the world's driest continent, where bushfire is a familiar threat, a D.I.Y., from-the-ground-up protection system for homes has been developed incorporating dedicated sprinkler heads for different areas of the house linked to strategically placed, automatic heat sensors. (read more...)
