Dubai — Engineers have developed an external airbag system driven by artificial intelligence for aircraft following the June crash of Air India Flight 171 at Ahmedabad, killing 260. The idea, referred to as Project REBIRTH, seeks to cut the number of deaths in future plane crashes.
Designed by Eshel Wasim and Dharsan Srinivasan, the system tracks altitude, speed, engine condition, and pilot reactions using artificial intelligence. In the event of a crash inevitable below 3,000 feet, airbags deploy automatically in two seconds from the nose, belly, and back of the plane. The shield is engineered to dissipate impact through advanced materials and intelligent fluids, and integrated GPS, infrared beacons, and flashing lights illuminate the way for rescuers.
The concept was motivated by the emotional appeal of the Air India tragedy. The young engineers who presented their project to the James Dyson Award call it the first AI-based survival system with predictive crash detection, impact absorption, and rescue assistance.
Online responses to the design have varied, ranging from praise for it as an innovation to doubts about its feasibility. The engineers intend to develop operational prototypes in five years, hoping the system will feature on commercial flights.
