Crash Test Dummies

Crash Test Dummies (or Anthropomorhic Test Devices; ATD’s) are extremely important for crash testing. This devices replace the human being during the test. In order to represent a large number of people ATD’s are available in different sizes. In addition, there are also dummies for certain tests (e.g. side impacts, rear impacts) and children dummies.

To get more information on ATD’s you can visit the homepage of Denton ATD, the manufacturer and supplier of the complete range of crash test dummies.

High Speed Lighting Systems

Only the perfect lighting system leads to perfect high speed films and videos. Since the frame rates in crash testing often exceed 1000 fps (frames per second) it is important to have a lighting system that has a extremely constant intensity.

The best lighting system can be found at K. H. Steuernagel. Steuernagel is the market leader and their systems are installed around the world.

On-Board Data Acquisition and Accessories

All crash test dummies are equipped with a large amount of transducers in order to find out what forces, momentums, and accellerations the dummy was exposed to during the impact. The data from the transducers is then recorded by the on-board data acquisition system. The system has to be extremely ruggedized and it has to fullfil the requirements of certain standards such as SAE J211 or ISO 6487 (see the “Regulations” section).

Since almost 25 years Kayser-Threde supplies on-board data acquisition systems which are extremely reliable. Kayser-Threde delivered so far almost 30000 channels to its world-wide customer base.

High Speed Video Cameras

Crash tests (and of course also real accidents) take only a few hundred milliseconds. This means, it only takes about 0.4 s from the first contact until the vehicle comes to complete standstill. In order to make this short evident visible for the engineers is is necessary to use high speed cameras. These cameras take 1000 or more pictures per second (this is very fast compared to a standard film or video camera that only takes 25 pictures per second). So far in most of the cases film cameras were used. Today it is possible to replace the film cameras with digital video cameras. Cameras are used off-board and on-board. They have to be as ruggedized as the data acquisition system.

The Switzerland based Weinberger and NAC are companies which offer digital high speed video cameras with extremely high resolution and outstanding quality.

Position Transducers

Position transducers can be used to monitor dummy ribcage, chest, knee, and other body part displacements. They can also be used to measure vehicle component movements such as bumpers, doors, seats, driver controls, and roofs.

More information on position transducers can be found at Robert A. Denton

Load Cells

Load Cells are used inside dummies to measure force and momentum in various parts of the body. Robert A. Denton is the leading manufacturers of dummy load cells.

Data Management Systems / Archives

With the large amount of data that is acquired by high speed video cameras and data acquisition systems it is necessary to implement a sophisticated data management system. Both relialbe long time storage and quick retrieval is important.

Kayser-Threde and Microsys offer integrated solutions for data management and long time data storage.

Acceleration Transducers

Acceleration Transducers are used to measure the acceleration at various locations inside the dummy, usually in multiple axis. These transducers can be obtained from Endevco, MWS-Sensorik GmbH, and PCB Piezortronics

Analysis Software

measX is an important supplier of crash test analysis software.

A-Solution offers crash test analysis based on DIAdem

IAT mbH offers a comprehensive package for crash test analysis.

Microsys is offering software in this area.

LIMESS offers software to measure 2D and 3D displacement, deformation and strain

Airbag Deployment Testing

Microsys
Limess

Video Analysis

Microsys
Limess