Humanetics, a U.S. manufacturer of anthropomorphic testing devices, has developed a new type of crash test dummy designed to make cars safer for women.
The dummy is the THOR-5F, whose name stands for “Test device for Human Occupant Restraint” (THOR), while 5F indicates 5th percentile female, meaning it statistically represents 95% of the female population in the U.S.
Recently integrated into the crash testing efforts of the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), it represents a major technological leap compared to the dummy currently used, the Hybrid III.
In addition to having three times more sensors than the Hybrid III, making data collection easier for crash test teams, the THOR-5F is also more realistic. It is flexible, capable of twisting and bending, and its shape was developed based on skeletal differences between genders across most of the population.
Furthermore, some sensors can now model injuries more accurately through pressure sensors located in the abdomen and pelvis—something the Hybrid III could not do.
It will still take some time before the THOR-5F is approved by the NHTSA for use in real crash tests. However, it is expected to be implemented for the evaluation of model-year 2027 or 2028 vehicles.
It is worth noting that women are 17% more likely to die in a collision than men. Additionally, women are 73% more likely to be injured in vehicle accidents than men.
Even so, Humanetics has also developed a male version of the robot, the THOR-50M, which is already under evaluation by the NHTSA. The male robot features the same technologies found in the THOR-5F.
Photos: Humanetics. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
