Overview

• Engineers Eshel Wasim and Dharsan Srinivasan at BITS Pilani’s Dubai campus unveiled Project Rebirth, an AI-driven crash-survival concept that aims to cocoon aircraft in external airbags.
• The system’s AI monitors altitude, speed, engine status, direction, fire and pilot response and, if a crash is unavoidable below 3,000 feet, automatically deploys nose, belly and tail airbags in under two seconds with a pilot override available.
• Complementary measures include using reverse thrust if engines are operable, gas thrusters if not, and non-Newtonian ‘smart’ fluids behind cabin walls and seats that harden on impact to reduce injuries.
• The creators say the concept could be retrofitted to existing aircraft or integrated into new builds, and they plan crash-sled and wind-tunnel trials with aerospace partners before seeking longer-term approval for real flights.
• Inspired by June’s FligIndia Flight 171 disaster near Ahmedabad, the project has drawn public interest and skepticism, and coverage underscores that feasibility, certification and operational risks remain unresolved.