How do you react when you drop your phone, accidentally? Your heart skips a beat. You freeze. The whole world around you goes out of focus. All this happens in a few seconds.

In a few seconds, You end up calculating numerous scenarios. Is it gonna land safely? am I going to be lucky? How much will the damage cost me?

Even if you have a good protective case installed, Your $900 electronic device may not only break your heart but also your wallet.

Okay. Stop your imagination. Your phone is safe. And it will be safe even if it falls hard when you have this clever case on your expensive iPhone.

“Active damping” iPhone case – An airbag to your phone

When your iPhone has this “active damping” case on, It doesn’t land hard self-breaking but does a jaunty bounce giving your iPhone a 360-degree protection. An airbag in your car is to the case for your iPhone.

Philip Frenzel, an engineering graduate from Aalen University in Germany, gave birth to this active damping phone case. The German Society for Mechatronics rewarded him with a top award for his innovative idea.

Also see: Patented display screen can heal all by itself in case of crack

He posed many challenges to come up with a comprehensive design. We all agree our phones need a protective shell. But, there are many people like me who never want to compromise the device’s aesthetics with an ugly or odd shell.

Frenzel brainstormed this idea. Why there is a need for something like a case that deploys only when your phone is in danger? Phone protective cases can be functional with an aesthetic appeal too. He explored the scenarios. And yes, he found a mechanism with the sensors to detect when a phone falls.

His initial ideas were to develop and install mechanism which is similar to airbag on the phones. He employed a few ideas, a foam-based alternative, etc which failed to work practically.

A creative and feasible idea born

Finally, there was a ‘Yureka’ moment. Rather than going for something soft to safeguard the phone why not try using the springs? So He configured and deployed his idea practically.

The case comes with a set of four thin metal curls which remain flat inside the case, under normal conditions. When the phone drops (a free fall), the set of curls pop-out creating a protecting impact and softens the landing on the floor.

Your iPhone does not fall on the floor cracking or breaking, but lands with a bounce compared to the hard-hitting impact on the floor with or without a normal protective case.

First deployment success? Fold these curls into the respective holsters and reload them for the next fall and you can hopefully pick up the undamaged phone when it drops every time.

Yet, there is a mild consideration that these springs may deploy even when your phone is kept in your pocket safely. So, might cause you some embarrassment. This is just an assumption.

Frenzel, the man behind this wonderful creation has already applied for the patent and is looking forward to making this innovation available to everyone. Watch out for it on www.ad-case.de.