Student from Aalen University in Germany invented an ‘airbag’ for smartphones
For people who constantly drop their phones, a German student may have come up with a solution.
An ‘active damping’ (AD) phone case has built-in sensors and eight springs that look like hooks.
The sensors can automatically detect when the phone is in free fall, and then deploy the springs to catch the phone when it hits the ground.
The designer Philip Frenzel, a student from Aalen University in Germany, calls his invention an ‘airbag’ for smartphones.
Each corner has two springs, but it is currently unknown what measures are in place to stop the case from activating accidentally.
A video shows the phone bouncing harmlessly after the user drops it.
After picking it back up, the user can simply fold the springs back into the case so it’s ready for the next drop.
Frenzel won the top award from the German Society for Mechatronics for his phone case, even though the design is still a prototype.
He has also patented the technology, meaning the case could be readily available to consumers in the near future.
The case appears to work perfectly on flat surfaces, but there is no indication that results would be as solid if the phone is dropped on a jagged or uneven edge.
While there are plenty of options on the market, from waterproof cases to ones that claim to be ‘indestructible’, there may not be another one that ‘bounces’.
source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk
