Crash test dummy facts for kids
A crash test dummy is a special device that looks and moves like a human. It helps scientists and car makers understand what happens to people in a car crash. These dummies are also called ATDs, which stands for Anthropomorphic Test Devices. They have the same size, weight, and joints as a human body.
Modern crash test dummies are filled with sensors. These sensors record important information during a crash. They measure things like how fast the dummy hits something, how much force is applied, and how quickly it slows down. This data helps engineers design safer cars and aircraft.
Before these dummies were invented, researchers used other methods. They sometimes used donated human bodies, animals, or even brave volunteers. However, these methods had many challenges, including ethical concerns. Today, computer models of the human body are also used to help with safety tests. New cars and technologies are always being developed. This means there's always a need for new and better ways to test car safety.
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History of Crash Test Dummies
The idea of making cars safer started a long time ago. The first recorded car accident happened on August 31, 1869. A woman named Mary Ward was thrown from a steam-powered car and died. Later, in 1899, Henry Bliss was the first person to die in a car accident in North America.
As more cars were made in the 1930s, more accidents happened. Cars back then were very different. They had hard metal dashboards and steering columns that didn't move. There were no seat belts. This meant people could be seriously hurt or even thrown from the car in a crash. Car makers at first thought crashes were too powerful to survive. But scientists knew they had to find ways to protect people.
Early Research Methods
To make cars safer, scientists needed to understand how crashes affected the human body. This was a new field of study called Biomechanics. They had to find ways to gather information about what happens during a collision.
Brave Volunteers
Some very brave scientists volunteered for crash tests themselves! In 1954, USAF Colonel John Paul Stapp rode a rocket sled at over 1,000 km/h (620 mph). He stopped in just 1.4 seconds. Another professor, Lawrence Patrick, rode a rocket sled about 400 times. He and his students even let themselves be hit by heavy objects to study impacts. Their courage helped create important safety information. But humans could only withstand so much, so other test subjects were still needed.
Animal Testing
In the mid-1950s, researchers also used animals to learn more about crash impacts. They wanted to understand how living bodies reacted to crashes. This helped them design things like collapsible steering columns. These new steering columns greatly reduced injuries from hitting the steering wheel.
However, using animals for testing raised many ethical concerns. Animal rights groups strongly protested this practice. Scientists also found that animals' bodies were different from humans, which limited how useful the data was. Because of these concerns and new technology, major car makers stopped using animals for crash tests by the 1990s.
How Dummies Have Evolved
Over time, crash test dummies have become much more advanced. Today, there are many different types of dummies. They are designed to represent men, women, children, and even people of different sizes. This helps gather specific data for various kinds of impacts, like those affecting ribs or the spine.
Modern dummies like THOR are very sophisticated. They have many sensors and parts that mimic human bones, like the spine and pelvis. This allows them to record detailed movements, especially in the neck.
Early Dummies: Sierra Sam and VIP-50
The first human-like test devices appeared around 1949. One of the earliest was "Sierra Sam." He was created by Samuel W. Alderson to test ejection seats and safety harnesses for aircraft pilots. These tests involved very high speeds that no human volunteer could safely endure.
Later, companies like General Motors and Ford started using similar dummies for car crash tests. These early models helped them learn a lot about vehicle safety.
Hybrid I and Hybrid II
General Motors took a lead in making better, more reliable dummies. In 1971, they created the "Hybrid I." This dummy was designed to represent an average-sized man. It was called a "50th percentile male" dummy. This means it modeled the height, weight, and proportions of an average man.
The design for Hybrid I was shared with other car companies. Soon after, in 1972, the "Hybrid II" was introduced. It had better shoulders, spine, and knees. Hybrid II was the first dummy to meet US safety standards for testing seatbelts. These dummies were a big step up from earlier methods. They helped engineers improve seatbelt designs.
The Hybrid III Family
The Hybrid III is perhaps the most famous crash test dummy. The first one appeared in 1976. It was also a 50th percentile male, standing about 175 centimetres (5 feet 9 inches) tall and weighing about 77 kg (170 lb). This dummy is often seen in frontal crash tests.
The Hybrid III family grew to include many different sizes:
- A "big brother" (95th percentile male), taller and heavier at 188 centimetres (6 feet 2 inches) and 100 kg (220 lb).
- A "Ms. Hybrid III" (5th percentile female), smaller and lighter at 152 cm (4.99 ft) tall and 50 kg (110 lb).
- Child dummies representing ten-year-olds (21 kg (46 lb)), six-year-olds, and three-year-olds (15 kg (33 lb)).
These child dummies are very important for understanding how accidents affect children. They help car makers design safer child seats and car features. The Hybrid III dummies are especially good at showing how the neck and head move in a frontal crash, which is very similar to how a human would react.
However, even Hybrid III child dummies have limits. For example, they don't always show the exact same injuries a real child might get. This is why scientists also use advanced computer models, like the Total Human Model of Safety (THUMS), to get even more accurate data.
THOR Dummies: The Next Generation
THOR-50M: Mid-Size Male
THOR (Test device for Human Occupant Restraint) is a very advanced crash test dummy. It was designed to do even more than the Hybrid III, especially for frontal impacts. The THOR-50M, which represents a mid-size male, has a more human-like body shape and many more sensors. This helps it collect even more detailed information about injuries.
Development for THOR started in the 1990s. The latest versions were delivered in 2013. Europe's New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) was one of the first to use THOR in its safety tests.
THOR-5F: Small Female
The THOR family also includes a small female version, the THOR-5F. This dummy is designed to represent women more accurately in crash tests. It helps address concerns that car safety has often focused more on male body types.
Recent studies have shown that women can be at a higher risk of certain injuries in car accidents. The THOR-5F helps researchers understand these risks better. It allows them to design cars that protect everyone more effectively. THOR dummies can collect data from over 150 different points on their bodies during a crash.
WIAMan: For Military Safety
WIAMan (Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin) is a special dummy for military use. It's designed to test how soldiers might get hurt from explosions under vehicles. The U.S. Army and Diversified Technical Systems (DTS) created WIAMan.
This dummy helps improve the design of military vehicles and protective gear. WIAMan is built to move like an average soldier, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and 185 pounds. It has many sensors to measure forces and movements during an explosion. This data helps make military vehicles safer for soldiers.
Female Crash Test Dummies
For a long time, most crash test dummies were based on male bodies. However, women make up a large number of car buyers and drivers. This meant that car safety designs might not have been as good for women.
In 2003, a female Hybrid III dummy was introduced. It was a smaller version of the male dummy. In 2002, Volvo also created a computer model of a pregnant woman. This helped them study how crashes affect pregnant women and their unborn babies.
More recently, in May 2023, the world's first female crash test dummy was used in Sweden. This dummy, developed by Dr. Astrid Linder and her team, represents average-sized women. It helps researchers understand why women might be more prone to injuries like whiplash in crashes. This work is important for making cars safer for everyone.
How Crash Test Dummies Are Used
Before a crash test, every Hybrid III dummy goes through a special check-up called calibration.
- Its head is carefully dropped from 40 centimetres (16 in) to make sure the sensors inside are working correctly.
- Then, the head and neck are put back on. They are moved and stopped suddenly to check how the neck bends.
- The dummy's knees are tapped with a metal tool to test its "skin."
- Finally, a heavy pendulum swings and hits the dummy's chest. This checks that the dummy's ribs bend like human ribs would.
Once the dummy is ready, small marks are placed on its head. These marks help researchers watch slow-motion films of the crash later. The dummy is then placed in the test car in a specific seating position.
During a crash, the Hybrid III dummy's many sensors record a huge amount of data. From its head to its ankle, up to fifty-eight different channels collect information. This happens in just a tiny fraction of a second, about 100 to 150 milliseconds. All this data is stored inside the dummy's chest. After the test, it's downloaded to a computer for analysis.
One great thing about Hybrid III dummies is that their parts are interchangeable. If a part breaks, it can be easily replaced. This means one dummy can be used for many tests. A fully equipped dummy can cost around €150,000!
Important: Positioning and Restraints
Proper seating and restraints are super important, especially for children. For example, three-year-olds are at a crucial age for car safety. This is often when they switch from rear-facing to front-facing car seats.
Studies show that using the right child restraint system is key. Children should always be in the back seat and properly restrained. A regular adult seatbelt might not be safe enough for a child. It could even cause more harm. That's why booster seats and child-specific belts are so important. They are designed to fit a child's age, weight, and height, offering the best protection.
Specialized Dummies for Different Impacts
Hybrid III dummies are great for frontal crashes. But cars can crash in many other ways, like from the side or rear. So, engineers have created special dummies for these different types of impacts.
- SID Dummies (Side Impact Dummy) are used for side collisions. They measure how ribs, the spine, and internal organs are affected. There are different versions, like EuroSID for Europe and SID II(s) for smaller females.
- BioRID dummies are designed for rear impacts. They help study whiplash injuries, which often happen when a car is hit from behind. BioRID has a very detailed spine that moves like a human's. This helps engineers design better headrests.
- CRABI dummies are child dummies. They come in sizes for 6-month, 12-month, and 18-month-old children. They help test how well child restraint devices and air bags protect infants.
- FGOA is a first generation obese anthropometric test device. It can be used to study how crashes affect larger occupants. This helps make cars safer for everyone, regardless of their size.
- THOR (Test device for Human Occupant Restraint) is one of the most advanced dummies. It has a very human-like spine and pelvis. Its face has many sensors to analyze facial impacts. THOR collects even more detailed data than Hybrid III.
- Linda is a virtual (computer model) pregnant crash dummy. Developed by Volvo engineer Laura Thackray in 2002, Linda helps analyze how high-speed impacts affect pregnant women and their unborn babies.
- Animal models have also been used to test the safety of dog harnesses and crates in crash conditions.
Rules and Standards
To make sure cars are safe everywhere, there are rules and standards for crash testing. Dummies carry special reference points, like the H-point, which helps engineers design car seats and interiors correctly. These standards help car makers around the world communicate clearly about safety.
See Also
- Car accident
- Crash test
- Crashworthiness
- Euro NCAP
- Safety car
- Mannequin
- Crash simulation
