Overview

• Project Rebirth, devised by BITS Pilani–Dubai engineers Eshel Wasim and Dharsan Srinivasan, aims to wrap an aircraft in external airbags during an unavoidable low‑altitude emergency.
• The designers say onboard AI would monitor altitude, speed, engine status, direction, fire, and pilot response to automatically trigger deployment below 3,000 feet with a pilot override available.
• Concept materials state the nose, belly, and tail airbags would inflate in under two seconds, forming a protective cocoon to absorb impact forces.
• Additional proposed elements include reverse thrust or gas thrusters to slow and stabilize descent by a claimed 8–20% and impact‑hardening fluids inside cabin structures to reduce injuries.
• The idea, inspired by the June 12 Air India Flight 171 crash, is currently an entry in the James Dyson Award as the team seeks crash‑sled and wind‑tunnel testing, with the shortlist due October 15 and the winner announced November 5.