According to Volvo, there are family members of different configurations and for different purposes, making a grand total of more than 100 dummies. The family is so large because it is necessary to include both children and adults of different ages and sizes to cover different collision scenarios.
"It's very difficult to develop crash-test dummies. The aim is to create as close a resemblance to a real human being as possible. At the same time, however, it has to be a tough tool. One highly successful example dates from the 1990s when Swedish researchers developed a crash-test dummy for rear-end collisions. This dummy, which features a very detailed spine, is now used the world over to evaluate whiplash injuries," says Lotta Jakobsson, biomechanics and technical specialist with the Volvo Cars Safety Centre at Volvo Cars.
During the calibration process, the dummies are inspected and adjusted to prepare them for new tests. Broken parts are replaced and various measurement parameters are tested. Thanks to the possibility of changing damaged parts, some dummies at the Volvo Cars safety centre are more than 30 years old and they have been involved in hundreds of serious collisions.
There are about 100 measurement points on each dummy, and these are used to register the forces exerted on the dummy's head, neck, spine, chest, hips and legs during the collision sequence.
The information provided by the dummies is stored on computer and each test is followed by an evaluation. Thanks to biomechanical research, the engineers can determine how much physical stress various parts of the human body can withstand before suffering serious injuries.
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