Since air bags emerged as an occupant protection concept in the early '70s, their development into a widely-available product has been lengthy, arduous, and the subject of an intense national debate. That debate is well documented and will not be repeated here. Rather, operating principles and design considerations are discussed, using systems and components from the developmental history of airbags as examples.
Design alternatives, crash test requirements, and performance limits are discussed. Sources of restraint system forces, and their connection with occupant size and position, are identified. Various types of inflators, and some of the considerations involved in “smart” systems, are presented. Sensor designs, and issues that influence the architecture of the sensor system, are discussed.