Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Polytechnic University engineers have unveiled a new device for ensuring the safety of public transport passengers—an emergency hammer pistol. This development will make evacuation from public transport in emergency situations more accessible for everyone, including children and the elderly. The invention has already received positive reviews. patent for a utility model in the Federal Service for Intellectual Property.
According to official data statistics According to the State Road Safety Inspectorate, there have been 5,322 accidents involving buses in Russia since January 1, 2025. Experts note that in some accidents, every second counts.
For an emergency evacuation from public transport, a window must be broken. Special devices are usually designed for this purpose. Polytechnic University engineers noted that existing emergency hammers may be ineffective, as they require proper striking technique and a certain amount of force. The university developed a prototype device that is guaranteed to break a vehicle's window with minimal physical effort.
"Our development solves a fundamental problem: the dependence of survival chances on a person's physical abilities. In a critical situation, our device allows a child or an elderly person to evacuate. To achieve this, we developed a simple and reliable hammer mechanism in the emergency hammer. The user simply needs to place our hammer against the glass and press the trigger lever—the glass will break," notes Nikolai Chumakov, one of the project's authors and an associate professor at the Higher School of Technosphere Safety at the Institute of Civil Engineering at SPbPU.
The invention's striking mechanism is driven by a leaf spring. It is compact and has a small amplitude, releasing stored energy in a strictly limited space, allowing precise control over the direction of its release. The spring's energy is transferred to the striker, which is sharpened at a 130° angle. This ensures instantaneous cracking of the glass. A versatile and simple activation mechanism allows the device to be activated even with limited mobility.
The presented development has similar products, but scientists emphasize that the system developed at the Polytechnic University is not only more reliable but also less expensive. The main distinguishing feature of the Polytechnic University's development is its focus on accessibility, simplicity, and design effectiveness, especially for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
"This isn't just an improvement on an existing device, but a completely new approach to safety. We've created a tool that always works, regardless of the circumstances or a person's physical condition. We hope that in the future, our invention will form the basis of a new safety standard for all public transport in the country," emphasizes Angelina Burkova, a co-author of the development and a master's student at the Institute of Social and Industrial Safety's Higher School of Technosphere Safety.
The development has already attracted interest from Russia's largest transport operators. Further testing is planned for the near future.
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