Out of Harm’s Way

GageTek LLC in Rancho Cordova, CA, is working on a load cell to make the air bag safer for the passenger at risk. The company has designed a system consisting of torsion-sensing load cells that calculate the weight as well as the position of the passenger. A load cell, shown on a motorized seat with side air bag in the article, measures the weight and position of front-seat car passengers to help minimize the risk of air bag-related injuries. The load cells are placed at each corner of the seat. The position of the occupant is calculated by determining the passenger’s center of mass. Position sensing is accurate to several centimetres. GageTek ‘s load cell, which it calls a torsional sensing load cell (TSLC), is a U-shaped piece of metal that acts like a spring. The load cell works the way a spring does, by converting linear force to a torsional force, or twisting, at the other end. The TSLCs are placed at each corner of the seat. Calculation of the center of gravity, or position of the occupant, is done by determining the seat occupant’s center of mass.