Humaneticsan American manufacturer of anthropomorphic testing equipment, has developed a new type of crash-test dummy designed to make cars safer for women.
It’s a model THOR-5Fwhose name stands for “human passenger restraint test device” (THOR), while 5F denotes the female 5th percentile—that is, the statistical ability to represent 95% of the female population in the US.
The model was recently included in the crash-test programs of the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and represents a huge technological advance over the currently used mannequin Hybrid III.
Besides having three times more sensors than Hybrid IIIwhich makes data collection easier for test teams, is THOR-5F also more realistic. It is flexible, able to twist and bend, and its shape was designed based on differences in skeletal structure between the sexes in the general population.
Some sensors can now simulate injuries more accurately with abdominal and pelvic pressure sensors – a feature that Hybrid III he didn’t have
It will still be a while before there is a model THOR-5F approved NHTSA for use in real crash tests. However, it is expected to be deployed when evaluating 2027 or 2028 model year cars.
It is worth noting that women are 17% more likely to die in an accident than men. In addition, women are 73% more likely to be injured in traffic accidents.
Humanetics however, he also developed a male version of the mannequin, THOR-50Mwhich is already being assessed NHTSA. The male dummy uses the same technology as the THOR-5F.
Photo: Humanetics. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
