Future of car safety is not for dummies Automakers unite to create virtual humans

[Jeanum]

There's an interesting article in the Detroit Free Press today about efforts to develop a much more sophisticated computerized model of the human body for car crash testing purposes. An accompanying diagram at the bottom of the article page outlines the history of crash test dummy development. Here's the link (no subscription required to view the article):

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070415/BUSINESS01/704150619

[scatterbunny]

VERY cool article! :)

I wish carseat manufacturers would have better dummies available for testing purposes. I want to KNOW what the forces measure for spinal compression and things like that. The Radian comes to mind, with the rule that allows shoulders over top slots; how can they say with certainty that that is safe, when the dummies are not instrumented to give us any data about crash forces in that area? Just rambling now, sorry about that. :o

[JaRylan]

Grrrr, I click on the link and it keeps waiting and waiting and waiting. I'll have to try again tomorrow.