Some automakers are brainstorming ideas to mitigate the danger, and Ford has one potential solution for its trucks that it’s apparently pretty confident in: inflatable bumpers.

Apple once dreamed of self-driving cars with retractable bumpers. In 2015, the company filed a patent for "extendable bumpers" with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent was published ...

While an inflatable bumper might invoke visions of pedestrians bouncing off into the path of other vehicles, Ford's patent insists it would collapse during the impact to absorb the energy, much ...

The inflatable panels are filled with pressurized gas and are meant to provide “soft initial contact in an impact.” The bumper can then be retracted using a spring mechanism.

Let the Apple Car rumors roll on. Apple has been granted a patent (number 10,974,688) for “extendable bumpers for vehicles.” Naturally, car bumpers are usually located at the front and rear of the ...

Apple once dreamed of self-driving cars with retractable bumpers. In 2015, the company filed a patent for "extendable bumpers" with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The patent was published this ...