THE APPLICATION OF AEROSPACE TECHNIQUES TO AUTOMOTIVE CRASH TEST INSTRUMENTATION

Abstract

The ultimate proof test of compliance with government safety standards for automobile “passive” occupant crash protection is obtained by crashing a test vehicle, occupied by instrumented anthropometric test dummies, into a concrete barrier. Each test of this type costs a minimum of $10,000, and much more if the vehicle is a prototype. The data that are obtained from the test dummies during such tests are the proof of compliance with the government safety standards and, therefore, must be highly reliable. Many aerospace techniques, such as a Metrology Laboratory, Quality Control, and redundancy can be adapted and utilized to maximize the reliability of the barrier crash data. These techniques are described and some early results are summarized. The early results show a marked improvement in data reliability compared to previous tests.