Oh I can't wait to see the posts from people more clever than me.

Actually the translations were wrong, this isn't an airbag, there's a small 3" diameter hole there in the bag, it's a project they've been working on with apple and anna nicole smith, it's a new type of driver relaxation technology from what I've been told. :)

Air bags generally inflate at a rate of around 180 mph (290 km/h). This is enough to cause some damage to your family jewels, I'd say.

Wrong, wrong, wrong... dammit! They should've call Toyota and install their new Twin-Chamber Airbag system. http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20050613/1057... Well maybe not... scrap that idea...some guys would actually be deploying it manually...

The result of this technology is that now, instead of immediately going unconscious (and probably sterile) and having an ache in the hospital later, you now get to stay conscious and vomiting from HORRIBLE AGONIZING PAIN until the emergency workers pick you up.

They could have made this much more effective and much less expensive (and dangerous) by simply changing the design of the seat and adding a pneumatic cylinder. The seat design changes to become more of a saddle, I am sure the arty types could come up with something that looks reasonable. The seat is resting on twin rails and is connected to the rest of the bike through a shock absorber. With the right amount of dampening the seat would feel permanent for anything but an impact accident. In an accident the seat moves forward slightly and up slightly, the rate is controlled by the cylinder. This causes the energy to be dissapated to the seat, the shock, and to the rider. Between these three forces you could substantially reduce the impact without the danger involved with the airbag deployment they have designed here. (this idea is copyright by earthling, 2006) The problem with the airbag design is that airbags deploy damn fast and most people ride scooters with their legs together. This creates an ejection potential since the airbag is designed to deploy at a rate faster than the person is moving forward and with enough energy to stop the person from moving forward. This creates a potential lifting scenario, might as well use an ejection seat :) The other problem with the airbag design is that you risk all of the 'real doll' jokes that are unavoidably running in everyones head on first viewing.

What if you're not sitting properly when the airbag is triggered. wouldn't this be, essentially, an ejection seat? Additionally airbags are inflated at a very high rate of speed, wouldn't put your nuts in jeapordy?

This reminds me of a joke: "What's the difference between a Hoover vacuum cleaner and a Harley rider?" "On the vacuum, the dirtbag is on the bottom." I'm here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

I am convinced that gentleman behind the nut-safe scooter is Ken Kutaragi's mildy alcoholic black sheep older brother.

the airbag in the passenger seat of a '95 tahoe hits you in the sack in a wreck if you have your seat back at man-leg length. i would say it's pretty much on-par with tapping your head on the dash in terms of pain.

What we need is an intra-cranial airbag for bikers. Not only would this eliminate the need for a helmet, it would put to use space that is clearly under-utilized.

take a look at the inflatable vest made by AireTronics. http://www.AireTronics.com

While I work for AireTronics, I don't want this to be a commercial. Simply a matter of awareness and knowledge.

check out the inflatable vest made by AireTronics. I don't want this to be a commercial, but a matter of product awareness.

http://www.airetronics.com

What about the nuts? Don't air bags come out like 200 mph on your nuts? Who would do such a thing. Why would you invent something that harms a human males testicles. Come on Now? Are you guys retarded? And you guys or girls will definetely not make business. Not only does it hurt your nuts but wouldn't it pressure you and throw you back? What kind of car accident are you going to get on a Moped? This is pretty much the first roadkill MoPed.

Yamaha Motors has recently unveiled a prototype model of an advanced safety scooter, the ASV-3, equipped with a nifty crotch air bag which opens from under the seat. Via gizmodo.

At speeds high enough to deploy this bag your nuggets would most likely be on top of it: [www.yamaha-motor.co.jp]

I haven't seen the crash test data but at 60 mph I would assume your body would completely leave the vehicle unless you were strapped in. If I were to exit a scooter at 60mph I would prefer to hit this thing then the handlebar.

Um ok don't airbags deploy at like 200mph so wouldn't that just crush your nuts I mean why don't they think anybody could see that this would crush your balls seriously why would someone make something that would purposely crush a mans testicles I would rather have my balls slammed on the handelbar and be knocked unconcious then have that thing crush my balls and me being awake to feel that horrible pain