A German engineering student has invented a 'mobile airbag' case design that automatically deploys when a phone is
dropped. We already have several case options in the market that can protect mobile devices from harm, such as
cracks, scraps, water damage, and more. But usually, they come at a price apart from adding more bulk to the
handsets that we have to carry around in our pockets. But a solution called AD (active damping) phone case, which
has been registered for a patent, can detect when your handset is in a free fall. It then releases springs to make
the phone bounces on the surface, damping the impact.
Philip Frenzel, a 25-year-old student from Aalen University in Germany,
came up with the
idea after breaking his smartphone by throwing his jacket over a bannister. The impact had caused the
electronics inside the handset to break. Frenzel then started looking for developing a system to prevent dropped
phones from breaking.
He wanted a case that is smaller and advanced instead of being big and bulky. Following four years of tinkering, he
invented a case that comes with sensors that can detect when the phone is in free-fall.
The sensors present in the 'mobile airbag' case prompts the release of four springs that cause the phone to bounce
when it hits the ground, giving higher chances of avoiding scrapes and cracks. The dampers in the case are pushed
into an 'airbag' position with metal springs, and they essentially help in absorbing the impact of the fall. Once
deployed, the dampers can be pushed back into the case, meaning you can use it again.
Notably, the 'mobile airbag' or AD case is currently not available for purchase yet. However, Frenzel has acquired a
patent and also received an award from the German Society of Mechatronics for his invention. There is a
video
posted by public broadcaster Sudwestrundfunk, in which Frenzel demonstrates how the invention works. As per the
video, the AD Case adds minimal weight to a phone while offering significant protection against drop-shock. Frenzel
is reportedly planning to commercialise the case starting with a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign. Frenzel also won
the Mechatronics Prize 2018 awarded by by German Society for Mechatronics for his work.
