Everyone knows that airbags save lives.  Fewer people realize that they can also result in injury to passengers and rescue workers.  Auto makers are searching for a better way.  KB Engineering, a developer of automotive safety products, has a solution.

A pyrotechnic explosion deploys an airbag in one-third the time it takes to blink your eyes.  The process is dangerous, toxic and environmentally hazardous. In response, KB Engineering has designed and developed a prototype system, called PARRS, that makes use of pre-crash sensing technology and off-the shelf components. PARRS is a safer and gentler system, and less expensive. PARRS significantly reduces the overall airbag system cost, because it is an overall solution that removes complex, expensive and hazardous parts, such as igniters, explosives and propellants, from the system.

PARRS is the first of many automotive safety products to come from the KB Engineering team of Dr. Sanjeev Kulkarni and Jess Cuevas, who worked together for many years at an automotive supplier.  Kulkarni founded KB Engineering in 1996 to model complex problems for aerospace, semi-conductor, bio-medical, nuclear and other manufacturing companies.  After building a consulting practice, Kulkarni began to look for new ways to grow his business.

While developing his strategy, Kulkarni availed himself of ASU Technopolis offerings.  He attended an SBIR workshop, which was followed by the Technology and Life Science Entrepreneurship course.  “The TLSE Course had a profound impact on me and my company.  As an emerging company, I have to give many presentations, and the TLSE class helped me focus my presentation to achieve the maximum effect on potential customers or investors,” says Kulkarni.

While honing his new direction, Kulkarni met up again with Cuevas, a holder of over 50 patents.  Kulkarni and Cuevas decided to join forces and turn the many great ideas they have into patents, prototypes, products and licenses, beginning with PARRS.  They filed a patent, built a prototype and received immediate interest.

They turned to the ASU Technopolis Launch Pad process to help them formalize their business model and prepare for presentations to customers.  One result of Launch Pad:  interviews with customers, suppliers and industry analysts suggested that PARRS could capture 20% of the global market and add $140 million annually to the earnings of a Tier 1 automotive supplier.   After Launch Pad, KB Engineering presented to several firms and is now negotiating a long term and lucrative licensing deal.

“The Launch Pad program helped us create our strategy of designing and licensing automotive safety products and launch PARRS.  The process really helped us hone our message to potential customers, understand the impact of PARRS on their bottom line and refine our overall strategic direction,” observes Cuevas.

With the imminent success of PARRS, KB Engineering could see the initial fruit of their labor in ASU Technopolis courses.  With many more innovations to follow!