A test on Hyundai Mobis panoramic sunroof airbag to protect the passengers from getting thrown out of the car with sunroofs when it is overturned. The new airbag  is the first of its kind in the world, according to the auto parts maker.(Photo: Hyundai Mobis)

Hyundai Mobis, Korea’s biggest supplier of auto parts, has developed an airbag for panoramic sunroofs to address the risk of passengers getting ejected through the roof during serious accidents. The company said in a press release that the airbag system is the first of its kind in the world.

“Hyundai Mobis was able to secure the technology necessary for mass production after completing reliability tests, including a field test, heat resistance test and vibration resistance test,” the release noted. “There is no precedent globally at the moment for applying panoramic sunroof airbags on vehicles yet.” 

The auto parts maker said it will complete the mass production system for the new type of sunroof system after tests are completed.

Part of the panorama sunroof is made with glass and awning screens, making it a double structure. The sunroof airbag should be installed between the sunroof glass and the awning screens and is made to open from the back.

The panoramic sunroof air bag system is installed in the back of a vehicle. In the event of a rollover, the air bag’s sensor will detect it and deploy itself in just 0.08 second to cover the sunroof and protect the passengers ― a mechanism similar to “curtain” air bags that are deployed in the event of a lateral collision. 

Hyundai Mobis said tests were conducted with a crash test dummy inside the car, and the results showed that it helped prevent passengers from being ejected from the roof and eased injuries to the head.

The sunroof market has been expanding around the world, and Hyundai Mobis is making a move to dominate the sunroof airbag market.

The airbag can also be installed in general cars with no sunroof as an option.

According to the P&S Research, the global sunroof market amounts to around 6 trillion won and is expected to grow 11 percent annually through 2020.

Overturned cars have presented safety problems for passengers. According to the NHTSA, 260 passengers in North America were thrown out of sunroofs after their cars overturned from 2000 to 2015. 

Hyundai Mobis secured 11 intelligent patents for technologies related to its sunroof airbag system, officials of the auto parts maker said. After seeing that great attention was being paid to the new sunroof airbag system, they will be able to expand the market to SUVs to become the leading high-tech airbag system maker.