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Project REBIRTH: AI will wrap falling airliner in protective cocoon

Imagine. A plane crashed, everyone died except one person. The worst aviation disaster in 10 years. And here 2 engineers from India say they figured out how to prevent this. Giant airbags controlled by artificial intelligence that will wrap a falling plane in a protective cocoon. Sounds like science fiction? And they’re already nominated for the James Dyson Award.

It all started with a real tragedy. Air India flight in 2025 spent only 30 seconds in the air. Someone turned off fuel switches right after takeoff, engines stalled, plane crashed. In cockpit recordings, pilots in panic ask each other – who did this? Only one person survived. The mother of one of the engineers couldn’t sleep after this. Thought about the horror passengers experienced, understanding there’s no way out. And so Eshal Wasim and Dharsan Srinivasan from Birla Institute of Technology decided this can’t continue.

They dug into research and discovered an interesting thing. Turns out, all safety systems aim to prevent disaster. But what to do when a crash is already inevitable? Here – a failure. Nobody really thought about survivability at the moment of impact. And they created Project REBIRTH. This is a system with sensors throughout the plane that constantly monitor altitude, speed, engine condition. AI analyzes data. And if it understands that a crash below 3000 feet is inevitable – bam, giant airbags deploy from nose, belly and tail of the plane. In 2 seconds. Can you imagine the picture?

These so-called smart airbags are made from Kevlar, special polymers and non-Newtonian fluids inside. Those same ones that change viscosity on impact. According to project authors’ calculations, the system reduces impact force by over 60%. Engines automatically engage reverse thrust, slowing the fall by another 8-20%. After impact, the system shoots out an infrared beacon, GPS coordinates and light signals so rescuers can find the airbag-wrapped wreckage faster. Engineers write – this is more than technology. This is an answer to grief, a promise of a second chance. Touching, of course.

Aviation expert Jeff Edwards, retired military and founder of consulting firm AVSafe, says – the idea is interesting, but let’s calculate. Such disasters happen once in 20 years. But airbags will have to be carried by every plane, every day, every flight. Weight – that’s the main problem. To cushion the impact of a commercial liner weighing over 600,000 pounds, airbags must be monstrous sizes. And if they’re so heavy that they add extra weight and aerodynamic resistance, all the benefit from cushioning impact simply evaporates. There’s your salvation.

The guys from India already made computer simulations and a 1:12 scale prototype. Now they’re approaching manufacturers and governments to conduct real tests. If they win the Dyson competition on November 5 – they’ll get $40,000. But the question remains open. Is the industry ready to haul tons of protective Kevlar for the chance to survive a crash that may never happen? Or is this another beautiful idea that will stay on paper?

Autor: AIvengo
For 5 years I have been working with machine learning and artificial intelligence. And this field never ceases to amaze, inspire and interest me.
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