Development of THOR NT: enhancement of THOR Alpha-the NHTSA advanced frontal dummy

The NHTSA Advanced Frontal Impact Dummy THOR has been enhanced to include improved anthropometry and biofidelity, durability, and ease of use. The previous version, known as THOR Alpha has been revised and is now called the THOR NT. The areas of improvement include improved anthropometry and biofidelity in the head with a single, integrated head skin which meets both isolated head drop and whole-body head impact requirements; more biofidelic dynamic response of the neck, including the introduction of an atlanto-occipital joint at the top of the neck with biofidelic range of motion; improved anthropometry at the shoulder and clavicles; improved biofidelity of the ribcage to the lower speed Kroell impact; improved anthropometry in the femur including a representation of the trochanter. The external forms for the pelvis and femur skin are now based on an undeformed shape to more correctly represent the interaction with a vehicle seat. More durable materials and improved production methods have been used, including injection molding the neck and the flexible joints in the spine. The pelvis and femur skins are made of PVC and the shoulders and front of the ribcage (bib) are made of more durable materials. The paper describes the enhancements in detail and presents the results from selected certification tests.

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