Tesla cars to deploy airbags before crashes happen, thanks to onboard cameras

Tesla Vision, the onboard camera, will now react and deploy the airbags up to 70 milliseconds earlier in unavoidable crash situations.

Tesla cars rely on the onboard cameras heavily for various functions, from advanced driver assistance and automated driving to replacing parking sensors. The EV manufacturer has claimed that Tesla Vision, the onboard camera, will now react and deploy the airbags up to 70 milliseconds earlier in unavoidable crash situations. To simplify, Tesla cars will deploy the airbags before crashes happen. The automaker has said that this feature will be rolled out to the existing Tesla cars through an over-the-air (OTA) software update.

Tesla Vision, the onboard camera, will now react and deploy the airbags up to 70 milliseconds earlier in unavoidable crash situations.

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According to the carmaker, the camera array will help the vehicle prepare for a crash and even deploy the airbags sooner when the system detects that a collision can't be avoided. The cameras will detect the situation and send a signal to the onboard computer. After that, the impact sensors will make the final call on airbag deployment.

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How the new system will work

Tesla recently released a video explaining how this entire system will work. The OEM has claimed that the Tesla cars will now be able to deploy their airbags up to 70 milliseconds earlier, which could make a huge difference in the event of a severe crash. Inflating the airbags sooner, even by a fraction of a second, is important because, even though it seems the airbags pop up instantly, they actually take time to inflate. In some instances, they don’t fill up quickly enough to ensure the maximum protection, which is what Tesla is trying to prevent.

Tesla contrasts this novel use of cameras with the limitations of accelerometer-based sensors, which have to wait until a crash has started before determining whether and how much to inflate the airbags.

The cameras onboard a Tesla can now identify the type of impact, estimate when contact will occur, and judge the likely severity before the physical crash sensors even start measuring it. This triggers the car's restraint systems, like the seatbelt pretensioners and gives time to prepare for impact, boosting occupant safety.