Throughout the world of testing, there's always one guy that seems to take the hit in the name of safety. He's a crash test dummy. At a laboratory in Holland, they test them to ensure their reactions are as human as possible. Ouch. ..... Ow!
First up, the head drop test. Inside the head are three sensors for measuring acceleration or deceleration; one for each direction. A sensor in the neck measures the forces on the dummy. ..... The head is held by an electro magnet, when the button is pressed the current is cut. Ow!
The deceleration; the rate at which the head slows when it hits is measured in 'g'.
REIMIER SMALLEGANGE: The lower limit is set to 100G and up-limit is set to 150G. The value we measured is 125G so that's right in the middle so we can say that the head has passed its certification.
Next the knee impact test. A 5 kilogram weight is dropped onto the knee to measure the displacement. Ouch!
Here, a new dummy is about to be hit full in the ribs. He has three abdominal force sensors, and his shoulders rotate realistically to expose his side. Where a human body would break, the dummy stays intact and measures the damage. In fact a dummy can last for 20 years, but it needs to be recalibrated every few crash tests to make sure it's still accurate. OW!
Lastly, its time for the frontal chest test the kind of forces the dummy could go through if it hit the steering wheel. If you tried to push the dummy's chest with your hand, you'd get about a centimeter in. With this test, its compressed more like 7 centimeters. Ow!
Nasty stuff, but it's these simulations that save lives and this dummy is a pass.
