Automobile Manufacturers to Introduce High-Tech Test Dummies
7 March 2000
DETROIT, and WASHINGTON--The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and First Technology Safety Systems announced today the introduction of two advanced anthropomorphic test dummies that will be representative of a small adult female and a six-year old child. FTSS produced the first prototype of OCATD5, a small adult female, in December 1999. Alliance members are now evaluating the prototype version of the small adult female with final versions to be delivered in April. "These high-tech test dummies will help improve air bag safety for a broad range of occupants," said Josephine S. Cooper, president of the Alliance. "Safety for occupants of all sizes is a fundamental concern of the auto industry. These test devices will serve as vital tools for developing and validating seat-based weight pattern sensors used in advanced air bag systems," said Cooper. "This project would not be possible without the support and engineering expertise from the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and its members," says Tom Gutwald, president of FTSS. The Occupant Classification Anthropomorphic Test Devices(TM) (OCATD) being designed by FTSS will produce a human-like weight distribution on the seating surface. Occupant Classification (OC) is a developing science driven by the need to suppress or modify the deployment of an air bag depending on the size of the seat occupant. "Essentially, the air bag systems have to distinguish between an adult and a child," says Steve Moss, Technical Director of FTSS. "The challenge for us is to develop surrogates for humans that accurately characterize the human features used by these OC sensors." FTSS has contracted with the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute to develop new anthropometry databases based on weight patterns and skeletal and body surfaces. Future products include test dummies that are representative of a ten-year old and a mid-size male. OCATD is based on the LifeForm(TM) occupant simulator, developed by Lear Corporation and FTSS in 1998 and 1999 under Lear's Bio-Fidelic Seating Surrogate Testing Initiative, to create a more life-like device for seat durability tests. Sensors in the seat detect a pressure pattern created by the occupant, which can distinguish between an adult and a child or between a human and a non-human object. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers is a coalition of car and light truck manufacturers. It was formed in January 1999 and serves as a leading advocacy group for the automobile industry on public policy matters. Alliance member companies have approximately 600,000 employees in the United States, with more than 250 facilities in 35 states. Alliance members represent more than 90 percent of U.S. vehicle sales. Information about the Alliance can be found at http://www.autoalliance.org. First Technology (FT) is an International Group quoted on the London Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of $500 million. FT specializes in the automotive industry in the fields of sensing, safety and comfort. First Technology Safety Systems (FTSS), a subsidiary of FT PLC, was founded in 1988 and is the world's largest creator of sophisticated crash test dummies and computer crash simulation models and supporting services. Information about First Technology is available at http://www.firsttech.co.uk. First Technology Safety Systems can be found at http://www.ftss.com.