Large male and small female added to THUMS family of crash test dummies

Toyota has added a small female and a large male to its family of digital crash test dummies known as THUMS - Total HUman Model for Safety.

The 153cm female and 189cm male will join the existing 179cm average-build adult male. All three models come in two types - vehicle occupant and pedestrian - bringing the total number of models to six.

The new models make it possible to take into account different body sizes when conducting analyses of internal injuries caused by car accidents. The THUMS models deliver crash test results in much greater detail than is achievable with conventional crash-test dummies by simulating many characteristics of the human body - ranging from the shape of the body to its skeletal structure and skin.

Developed by Toyota, universities and research institutes, the models are based on detailed measurements of the human body’s internal structure using a high-precision CT (computed tomography) scanner. By creating precise models of various internal organs, including their positions and how they interconnect, Toyota was able to develop a virtual human model containing approximately 14 times more information than the previous version. This increased detail allows finer understanding of how damage is inflicted to internal organs during a collision.

Beginning this summer, the small female and large male models will be marketed to universities through Toyota Technical Development Corporation and to private companies through consultant, JSOL Corporation.

Toyota has plans to add an elderly person and a child model to make an even more diverse range of testing possible.

Development of the first THUMS models began in 1997 and a Version 1 model was completed and commercially launched in 2000. Version 2, which added a face and bones to the model, was launched in 2004. Version 3 (2006) added a precise brain model.  Version 4, with detailed modeling of internal organs, was completed and released in 2010.