Sony creates liquid airbags to protect phones

Water and mobile phones to play nicely for the first time

We all know that water and electronics generally don't mix well, but what if there were a way to use the liquid to cushion delicate gadgets in the event of an accident? That's precisely what Sony has come up with, in a perfect example of thinking outside the box.

According to New Scientist magazine, the Tokyo giant reckons sandwiching a bag of liquid inside - for example - a phone could be the way to protect it from breaking when dropped.

Fluid motion

Although it sounds preposterous, the idea is that the phone's electronics would be fully waterproofed, meaning they don't ever come into contact with the liquid. Drop the phone and the water acts as the gadget equivalent of a car airbag.

Naturally, it's not exactly that simple - the fluid moves between several chambers during an impact to ensure it's in the right place - but 'why didn't I think of that' ideas like this are usually the ones that make a difference.