Not so dummy

In-Depth

A virtual crash test dummy, using complex computer modelling to predict physical impact damage more accurately, could aid the design of safer vehicles.

Japanese work on a new breed of crash test dummy will help designers develop safer vehicles and save lives.

Created by engineers at Toyota in Japan, THUMS (total human model for safety) is a virtual representation of the human body that can provide engineers with precise data about the injuries people might sustain in various accidents.

Traditional dummies replicate the outward impact on the body. But the virtual ones, using complex computer modelling, take into account bone strength and skin flexibility — even ligaments and tendons.

According to Toyota, this new emphasis on detail will make it possible to predict more accurately the physical damage that different impacts will cause, to vehicle occupants and pedestrians. A company spokesman claimed that the accuracy of the system has been ascertained by comparing the results of THUMS simulations with X-rays taken from accident victims.

An advantage of this system, besides its inherent accuracy, is that it will allow car designers to identify elements that are responsible for injury during an accident and enable the effects of any adjustments to be evaluated.

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