To improve knowledge about how injuries are sustained in a variety of accident types and to a variety of vehicle occupants and other road users, Toyota has developed an innovative computer-generated virtual model of the entire human body: Total HUman Model for Safety, or THUMS. THUMS reproduces not only the skeletal structure of a person, but also a body’s internal organs and muscles, making it possible to understand the effects of accidents on bone structures, skin, joints and ligaments.
The THUMS ‘family’ currently includes a typical male occupant, a smaller female occupant, a six year- old child occupant and a typical male pedestrian model. Toyota is using THUMS to further its research into automobile body development to enhance passive safety. It is also making THUMS available for use by organisations outside of Toyota to improve vehicle safety in general.
Yvonnick Gazeau
