Toyota digital crash test dummies

Toyota has added a small female and a large male to its family of digital crash test dummies. The virtual humans, known as THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety), deliver crash-test results in much greater detail than is achievable with conventional crash-test dummies, claims the company.

The new models of a 153 cm tall female and a 189 cm male will join the existing 179 cm average-build adult male in THUMS. All three models come in two types - a vehicle occupant and a pedestrian - bringing the total number of models to six. It is now possible to take into account different body sizes when conducting analyses of internal injuries caused by car accidents.

Toyota was able to develop a virtual human model containing approximately 14 times more information than the previous version by creating precise models of various internal organs, including their positions and how they interconnect. This increased detail allows finer understanding of how damage is inflicted on internal organs during a collision.