It's a common refrain that self-driving cars will change everything. Aside from being a good piece of forward-thinking ad copy, it represents a major challenge for suppliers. Consider the humble airbag. Current airbags are designed to work in cars where all occupants face forward and are restrained by seat belts. But none of that can be taken for granted when it comes to self-driving cars. Without the need for manual controls, future cars could have inward-facing seats, screens everywhere, and other features that make car interiors more like mobile living rooms.
German automotive supplier ZF is already trying to prepare for that future. It believes seat-mounted airbags may be the answer, according to Wired. ZF already has a seat-mounted airbag, which was designed to prevent occupants' heads from hitting things during a side impact. It hopes to adapt that design for future self-driving cars.
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