Development of an Advanced ATD Thorax System for Improved Injury Assessment in Frontal Crash Environments

Injuries to the thorax and abdomen comprise a significant percentage of all occupant injuries in motor vehicle accidents. While the percentage of internal chest injuries is reduced for restrained front-seat occupants in frontal crashes, serious skeletal chest injuries and abdominal injuries can still result from interaction with steering wheels and restraint systems.

This paper describes the design and performance of prototype components for the chest, abdomen, spine, and shoulders of the Hybrid III dummy that are under development to improve the capability of the Hybrid III frontal crash dummy with regard to restraint-system interaction and injury-sensing capability. The new features include a more humanlike ribcage, a flexible thoracic spine, more humanlike shoulders with load-bearing clavicles connected to the sternum and improved front/back range of motion, a biofidelic frangible abdomen, and an enhanced chest-deflection measurement system capable of monitoring three-dimensional displacements of the ribcage at the sternum and at the left and right regions of the lower ribcage.