What do you do when your cell phone slips from your hand? Grab and flail, then mentally figure the cost of a new one as you survey the shattered components on the sidewalk, right? Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has another idea, says Todd Bishop at GeekWire: A built-in airbag.
If not an airbag, how about a propulsion system to lower the phone like a hovercraft? Or maybe springs to bounce it off the floor? They’re all covered in a patent application filed earlier this year and made public last week. The application, filed in the name of Bezos and Amazon vice president Gregory Hart, uses a sensor to determine if a cell phone or other device is falling, then deploy the airbag or other method to prevent damage.
There’s no word on whether Amazon actually plans to develop the system, but it’s a pretty safe bet that the company will be looking for a piece of the action if someone else does.
