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Hyosung Advanced Materials has been confirmed to become Amazon’s airbags supplier for its self-driving electric vehicles. It was announced on Tuesday, March 16, that the South Korean industrial materials maker had been tapped for an airbag deal for Jeff Bezos’ company-backed autonomous vehicle.
Korean airbags bound to the U.S.
As per The Korea Times, Hyosung Advanced Materials’ airbag development affiliate, Global Safety Textiles, has signed a contract with Zoox, a robotaxi firm that was purchased by Amazon this year for more than $1 billion.
Based on the deal, Hyosung’s Global Safety Textiles will supply its woven airbag products to Zoox. Currently, this company is developing its self-driving robotaxi, so this is where the airbags are set to be used.
The Robotaxi has been described as a square shape multi-purpose vehicle with sliding doors. Amazon is likely building this for delivery and for other types of service. The Hyosung airbags will be fitted in this four-seat car.
The airbag manufacturing company is expected to start delivering the items in 2022. In any case, Hyosung Advanced Materials admitted this is the company’s first delivery for airbags that will be installed on self-driving cars.
“The company will continue to introduce innovative products that can meet new demand from the future mobility sector, leveraging Global Safety Textiles’ development and manufacturing capabilities,” Hyosung CEO Hwang Jung Mo said.
The cutting-edge airbags for the Robotaxi
Amazon’s Robotaxi can operate without a driver, but it has a big space for transporting passengers or goods. Since this is not a common vehicle, it requires a special kind of airbags, and Hyosung stated that it would make sure to provide the kind that Amazon’s autonomous cars need.
Korea Joongang Daily reported that the materials that will be used for the airbags will be thoroughly checked. In fact, the company will even send the material to ZF Friedrichshafen AG to make sure it is at par with the requirements for "Robotaxis."
“Such characteristics require that airbags be designed in a variety of shapes based on a completely new concept,” Hyosung said. “In response, the new-concept three-dimensional airbags wrap around the riders from above when deployed instead of the horizontal deployment used in traditional vehicles.”
