An airbag for workers at height, from scaffolding, pylons, industrial and construction machinery. The idea was developed in the Dainese D-Air Lab in Vicenza, a section created by the founder of the famous brand in the world of motorcycling, Lino Dainese. The managing director is Vittorio Cafaggi, historical right-hand man of the “father” of the company and companion of many (technological) battles of the “red devil” brand.
When did you get the idea for this device?
«Let’s start with the name. We have called it Work-air which sounds like “workcare”, because basically this is the meaning. It was important that the word air was present in the name, because this is the first device of this kind aimed at individual protection for workers. It was one of the first projects, launched in 2016 with Enel. But the first prototype was completely different from the current model. We did two, before reaching the final version, the third. Then, there is a model designed for Enel’s specific needs, with fireproof and antistatic material. And we are four ».
Work-air, here is the Dainese vest that turns into an airbag
Seven years to get to the final version?
«We have lost two whole years for Covid. But it was physiological, the companies heavily interrupted what was not immediately aimed at guaranteeing continuity of supplies and services ».
What does it consist of?
«It is an airbag very similar in appearance to the one for motorcyclists, but it is designed for workers at height. It is a vest, weighs one kilo and protects against falls from a height of up to one meter and 20. But to understand better, we need a premise on the legislation “.
You are welcome…
«The law distinguishes works above and below the height of two meters. In the highest level, a support surface and a harness are provided, with safety hooking by means of a cable to a fixed point. In the event of an accident, the type of impact is different: falling on a pavement causes a type of damage, very different from that caused by impact as a result of loss of balance and “swinging” against fixed structures. Work-air mitigates the consequences of these impacts, protects the thorax and internal organs, the back and the spine up to the cervical vertebrae ».
Can we quantify this protection?
«The specification for the certification establishes that the maximum of the force transmitted must not exceed 4.5kN. The Work-air achieved an average value of 1.8 kN, 60 per cent lower than the limit established by the law ».
What is the secret?
«The effectiveness is due to the study of the” bag “. A little gem. The main feature is that the wall is joined by threads. They are used to control inflation, but also to avoid the “sinking” effect at the point where the impact occurs. And this happens because the threads distribute the forces. Bear in mind that inflation takes place in 40 milliseconds. We worked on the Dainese patent for the air bag, which we then developed ».
Has it already been tested in any real situation?
“We did tests with a professional stuntman, with a mannequin and also with the engineer who had developed it.”
No accident right?
«No, just a few simulations in real use with Terna, also to complete the map of situation models to be used for the airbag activation algorithm. And I assure you that this part was very complex. The algorithm has been studied in collaboration with the Politecnico di Milano, combining the series of “normal” situations with those of possible accidents ».
How many specimens are you going to produce?
“At least two thousand by this year. Not only for Enel, but also for Electricité France and some other companies. But there are hundreds of thousands of potential customers. You pass me the joke, but it might also be fine for librarians, who scramble up the stairs to get the books from the top of the shelves. However, we have contacts with the Confindustria building commission in Vicenza, we will make a presentation to the specialists of Inail, but also to public bodies in Switzerland and Germany. It is an industrial project, of course, but it also has a social value. Lives first of all, not to mention the economic impact on the national health system ».
How much cost Work-air?
“The price is 519 euros plus VAT”.
Are there any other devices under study?
«An airbag for the elderly will be ready in late April-May. It will be called “Future age”, it will be a sort of a slightly thicker belt to be worn around the waist and will serve to avoid breaking the head of the femur in the event of a fall ».
Complicated to make?
«The big challenge was to be able to distinguish the fall from the inclination due to the movement of tying one’s shoes or picking up something on the ground. The Alma Mater University of Bologna already had a database on this subject, which is essential for developing an algorithm. But in addition to the technical problem, there was the psychological one, the “acceptability” of the product. We must avoid that the impact is negative, the elderly must not feel uncomfortable, unable only because he wears that device. Among other things, it is also designed to send a geo-localized text message in case of activation. We also study an app with a section on the wearer’s phone and one on that of those who care for the elderly ».
When will it be available?
«We are still in the certification phase, the price will be similar to that of the Work-air. In France and the Netherlands something similar already exists, but we will go further. We will also make adjustments for epilepsy sufferers. The project is called Nimbus, but I can’t tell you more about it yet. We strongly believe in this use of technology and we do not lack ideas ».