I'm really not sure what to make of this... iVoice has filed for a patent for a personal air bag! (you wear it) Apparently, it detects a sudden change in elevation and angle and then deploys the airbag. Just what 90 year old women weighing 98lbs need - an air bag that saves them the embarassment of saying "I've fallen and I can't get up!" - assuming of course the fast-deploying airbag doesn't propel them into low orbit!
Wish I had a picture or video of this air bag device to share. Guess the release will have to do.
iVoice, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: IVOC), a leader in speech-recognition technology, announced today it has filed a patent for a new personal air bag device to limit injuries from falls.
The device is self-contained and is worn by a pedestrian. It has one or more air bags that inflate to protect the user from injuries upon falling. It is adapted to deploy the air bag(s) upon change in a condition, such as a change in elevation or angle.
The user could be an ambulatory or non-ambulatory elderly person, a person in a wheelchair or other confinement, a person working on a ladder, hoist, scaffold or other hazardous altitude, or a fireman or a motorcycle rider. The device is worn by the user and has at least one sensor that will detect a characteristic change, such as a severe angle change of greater than 45 degrees or negative altitude change triggered by a decrease in gravity pull. When the sensor is triggered, compressed air rapidly fills the air bags before the user hits the ground and reduces or prevents injury. The device can have an on/off switch so that it is inactive when the user is not in harm's way.
An optional feature is an alarm that wirelessly signals a fall to a receiving facility for possible response. This alarm may trigger a phone call, a GPS locating effort and transmission of assistance to police or a nursemaid, relative, ambulance or other assistance.
iVoice CEO Jerry Mahoney said, "This is the 13th patent we've filed. This personal air bag device is of special interest to the elderly and to people in high risk-of-fall situations, such as firemen, construction workers and others working on ladders. The invention is also beneficial in the prevention or reduction of injuries to roller skaters, ice skaters, bicyclists and motor scooter and motorcycle operators. Intellectual property is important to a company optimizing opportunities to provide shareholder value. We are seeking to license the various technologies that we own the rights to. This latest invention further broadens our portfolio."
Personal Air Bag
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