Durban - Everything keeps going right – particularly if you’re a Toyota crash-test dummy.
The company, which has its main South African manufacturing plant in Durban, has now invented almost-human crash-test dummies which emulate reactions of drivers and passengers in the event of a crash.
Human drivers are likely to hit the brakes and turn the wheel, while passengers, aware of what is about to happen, instinctively brace for impact.
These changes in posture – relaxed or braced – aren’t something physical crash-test dummies can copy, but Toyota has now produced new software for its Thums (Total Human Model for Safety) virtual-human modelling that replicates these kinds of pre-collision reactions.
The latest version of Thums adds a muscle-modelling feature that can simulate the body attitude of different vehicle occupants, from relaxed to braced, allowing for more detailed computer analysis of the injuries collisions can cause.
Until now, Thums could only simulate changes in posture after a collision had happened, but the new Version 5 model allows changes prior to an impact to be scrutinised.
This means the performance of seatbelts, air bags and other safety equipment can be studied more accurately.
The information will help in developing better safety technologies. - Staff Reporter
The Independent on Saturday