Even when cars become autonomous, there will still be situations where an old-fashioned emergency stop is required.
Today’s invention offers a potentially life-saving extra level of braking for just such an eventuality.
In the top half of the diagram, a vehicle is shown braking. It is equipped with areas of reinforced brake pad material in its wheel arches.
If conventional, sharp braking (including ABS etc) is not going to avert a disaster, then, the second diagram illustrates what would happen.
The suspension units for all the wheels are automatically and simultaneously blown, so that the bodyshell collapses onto the tyre surfaces, boosting the last-ditch stopping power.
