Mercedes is making waves in the vehicle safety technology world.
If you’ve ever been in a car accident, you know that they are tremendously
loud. You may be surprised to learn that the airbag deployment is potentially the
most harmful of the plethora of assaulting noises you’d hear. It’s estimated
that 17% of people who are exposed to airbag deployment suffer from a degree of
permanent hearing loss. Mercedes has developed a breakthrough technology -
using pink noise - that makes the people inside a primary part of the safety
system. This innovative system is the first to harness a natural reflex to
condition the ear for the loud noise anticipated from a vehicle impact.
The stapedius muscle is the smallest in the body, located in
the inner ear. When the stapedius muscle contracts, the connection between the
ear drum and the inner ear is weakened. This means that some of the sound
pressure is reflected in the ear drum rather than all of it being transmitted to
the inner ear. Normally, you would need an emission of 100 decibels to contract
this muscle, but you can achieve this protective muscle contraction at as low
as 80 decibels by transmitting as many simultaneous frequencies as possible. This
may sound intimidating, but the pink noise is inoffensive, comparable to the
sound of a waterfall. If an impending collision is detected, the vehicle’s
sound system plays pink noise- causing the stapedius muscle in the ears to
contract- to protect your delicate inner ear.
Mercedes’ use of pink noise symbolizes a fundamental shift
in the focus of safety engineering, geared more towards the people inside. One
could certainly anticipate that this comprehensive system is likely the catalyst
of a soon to be integral element of future vehicle safety systems.
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