More than 30 years of research and development into the subject of protection for motorcycling has resulted in the Dainese Smart Air airbag vest. A versatile, independent garment, you can wear it over or under any jacket (if worn underneath, the outer garment needs to allow Smart Air to inflate and expand) and, due to its lightness, essential quality and low weight, it’s comfortable in any season of the year and at any temperature. But how does the Dainese Smart Air airbag work and why is it such an innovative product?
The Smart Air motorcycle airbag integrates the latest evolution of the Dainese D-air® Road system, a technology that has many elements in common with the one integrated into professional MotoGP™ riders’ suits. The D-air® airbag system essentially consists of two elements. One is the electronic control unit, equipped with a GPS detector , accelerometer and gyroscope, which untiringly analyzes the rider’s movements and is ready to recognize the dynamics leading to a fall or accident through a sophisticated algorithm. The other is the airbag that covers the chest and back, characterized by patented microfilament technology that gives it strength and prevents deformation.
To fully understand the special features of the Dainese Smart Air motorcycle airbag, we put some questions to Franco Gatto, D-air® System R&D Manager at Dainese, who together with the R&D team and technicians at the Dainese Speed Demon Lab oversees the design and development of Dainese’s innovations in protection systems.
What sets the Dainese Smart Air vest apart from previous D-air® garments and the competition?
The Smart Air differs from previous products through the introduction of new functional characteristics. The first is the possibility of reusing the airbag up to a maximum of three activations, as long as it is always perfectly intact; it’s enough to replace the gas generator, an operation that can be performed independently by the Smart Air’s owner. This dramatically reduces the time required for restoration.
The second characteristic is the option of managing your Smart Air using the D-Air® App, which lets you find out the battery charge level, check the number of activations still available, update the device without having to connect it to a PC, and more.
As a garment in itself, the Smart Air vest is presented as the world’s lightest electronic airbag system. And compared to previous road models, it’s even more protective. The Smart Air is a level 2 Central Back (covering the spine without extending to the shoulder blades) and Divided Chest (i.e. it’s divided into two parts on either side of the front zipper) protector, and extends some of the protection to the abdomen as well.
Compared with competitors’ products, the Smart Air repeats the solution presented on the Smart Jacket, offering a protective product through the use of air alone, while other brands incorporate a rigid back protector.
What’s so special about the Smart Air airbag?
The new bag, D-air® Shield Road 3X, is made of a new material that allows it to further lower the weight of the airbag vest; the garment is so light and comfortable that it reduces the perception of its presence. It is also equipped with the new system for independent gas generator replacement.
All airbags in D-air® systems feature the patented microfilament technology that connects the two walls of the bag using a series of filaments. These make it possible to control the thickness of the bag over its entire surface area once inflated, to control the shape it takes after inflation, and to make it non-deformable, unlike the reaction of other manufacturers’ airbags. They, in contrast, don’t guarantee uniform internal air distribution and expand into the remaining coverage area when crushed at a certain point, just like an everyday balloon, altering the protective coverage.
What advantages does it have over a traditional protector?
One advantage of Dainese motorcycle airbag protectors is related to their ergonomics. The absence of hardshell protective gear allows for certified protective garments that are lighter and less invasive, directly increasing active safety. A comfortable protector that doesn’t restrict movement is also more greatly appreciated and promotes more intensive use.
Equally important is that the protection provided by D-Air® products is greater than that provided by a traditional protector. The absorption of the force of impacts is significantly higher.
Lightweight, protective and ergonomic Smart Airbag ideal to wear over or under any outfit. Featuring the revolutionary triple-activation D-air® Road airbag and easy-to-replace integrated gas generator.
On what kinds of roads can the Dainese Smart Air vest be worn, just asphalt? And in which situations?
Smart Air is designed to operate on unpaved roads as well as paved roads, without having to change any settings – the system will automatically recognize the use context.
The Smart Air airbag can be used on many occasions, covering the majority of uses that can be made of a motorcycle or scooter. These range from urban travel to highway transfers, and from hill and mountain riding to – as I said – light off-roading. Only track riding and demanding off-road riding are ruled out.
Let’s look at some differences between electronic and mechanical airbags:
Dainese has chosen to invest in developing the electronically activated airbag since its invention. The first major advantage of an electronic device is the total absence of physical constraints between rider and vehicle. This aspect increases safety in the event of an accident. Think of situations in which the cable doesn’t break in the event of an accident, keeping rider and vehicle ‘tethered’, or in which the cable is accidentally entangled in obstacles or debris produced by the crash.
At the performance level, the big difference is the speed of activation of the electronic motorcycle airbag system. Modern electronic platforms coupled with the most refined decision-making systems and high-performance calculation algorithms allow for much more rapid device availability compared to a devices with cables. In addition, the electronic system, as in the case of the Smart Air vest, can automatically recognize the use context, adapting the decision-making strategies as required.
If you wear Smart Air, do you still need a back protector?
The Dainese Smart Air airbag can completely replace back and chest protectors, guaranteeing impact absorption comparable to that of seven level 1 rigid back protectors. If the rider wants to use the system together with a back protector, so that the rider’s protection is always guaranteed, even if they have to ride home after an activation, there’s no reason not to.
What happens after an activation? Does it deflate? How long does it take?
To meet the certification requirements, the airbag must remain at a minimum protective pressure for at least five seconds to ensure the protection time is long enough. The airbag then gradually deflates independently immediately afterward. The pressure reduction time depends on a number of factors like, for example, the volume of the airbag itself. On average, the airbag of a Dainese D-air® system begins to lose pressure between 30 (Racing airbags, integrated with D-air® suits) and 60 seconds (Street airbags, integrated with jackets and vests).
What do I have to do next to be able to use it again?
For the latest-generation airbags, found on the Mugello 3 D-air® and Misano 3 D-air® suits and in the new Smart Air, after activation you only need to replace the used gas generator, completely independently and without the need to intervene on the electronic control unit. We recommend that you check your garment thoroughly in order to rule out the presence of any physical damage to the airbag.
On the third activation, the system locks. At this point you’ll have to send your garment to the service department to replace the airbag and reset the control unit.
