Smartphone cases. They are good in protecting our devices, but they are and will never be a pretty sight. Sure, there are super thin cases, but being that thin, they are only good for preventing scratches and not much for serious drops. Getting a bulkier case is the trade off for more protection against disastrous drops. However, if Aalen University’s engineering student Philip Frenzel has his way, you will soon be able to slip on a smartphone case that is not overly thick, but still provide your device with shock protection offered by clunkier counterparts.
His invention is akin to airbag on an automobile. Philip is calling it the AD Case, short for “active damping,” but for sake of non-engineers, we will just go with Mobile Airbag Case for Smartphone for now. The case is fairly thin, so you won’t be sacrificing form for function. When a fall occurs, the in-built sensors sense it and deploy metal springs on all four corners in split seconds, thereby cushioning the fall. Unlike airbag, though, it is totally Mobile Airbag Case is totally reusable. There’s no need to go back to dealer to “recharge” the gas because there ain’t no gas.
All it takes is to use the metal springs back into the case and voila! It is ready to be deployed if the worst is to happen, again. It is brilliant invention and naturally, it has the attention of German Society of Mechatronics who conferred him with a Mechatronics Prize for 2018. Frenzel plans to make it a real product by leveraging on Kickstarter which he plan to launch in July. Way to go, Philip. I am sure many smartphone users will be smitten by it – if it is priced reasonably.
Speaking of which, there’s no hint of how much it will cost. While I am also excited by this invention, I am worried that it might make it because, online retail giant Amazon has secured a patent for a similar concept in 2012. Whether or not this constitutes to an infringement, it is not clear.
Image and source: Highsnobiety.
