Toyota adds child dummies to crash testing

Toyota has expanded its crush-test dummy family with three new child-like models.

Replicating the physical characteristics of children aged 10, six and three, the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) gives the manufacturer the opportunity to simulate injuries sustained by passengers and pedestrians in the case of a vehicle crash.

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Through the family of dummies, Toyota is able to forecast the extent of injuries on the human body during a collision, to help with the development of safety features such as airbags.

The three child dummies are added to the existing adult male and female dummies, and are offered in a passenger and pedestrian version.

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The dummies mirror human characteristics with the children’s heights at 138cm for the 10 year-old, 118cm for the six year-old and the three year-old dummy measuring 94cm. Now in their fifth version, the THUMS crash-test dummies realistically replicates a human bone structure, ligaments, tendons and vital internal organs, in order to more accurately measure the impacts of a collision on the human body.

The addition of the child models were developed through joint research between Wayne State University, University of Michigan and Collaborative Safety Research Centre at the Toyota Technical Centre in Michigan.

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Originally developed by and for Toyota, the child-THUMS will be offered for sale to a number of road safety and collision researchers as well as vehicle manufacturers later this year, with the end-goal of eradicating traffic fatalities.