Less than a month after filing a patent for a self-levelling cup holder design, Ford submitted more schematics of a retractable table design (with airbags!) for patenting. According to the Blue Oval, the application of this retractable table isn’t so much for a sizeable van, but more for a fully autonomous car of the future, Motor1 reports.
The images clearly illustrate a driverless scenario, where all four passengers are seated around a table facing each other. The same table can be fully retracted into the floor. In the disastrous event that an autonomously driving vehicle gets into an accident (which should ideally be very unlikely), airbags installed into the edges of the table will deploy, preventing passengers from hitting the table.
It’s unclear how soon we’ll see this technology come to light, considering there’s still some ways for carmakers and legislators to go before autonomous driving becomes fully functioning. On the other end of the spectrum, Audi predicted a future without the use of conventional restraining systems, which honestly sounds a lot more pleasing than having airbags built around the rim of a table.
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