Ford developed the more lifelike abdomen in conjunction with Dearborn-based STR Systems, a safety technology and research firm; The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; Wayne State University in Detroit; the University of Virginia; and Takata Corporation, a global manufacturer of automotive safety systems.
The prototype pediatric abdomen insert is similar in size and shape to that of a 6-year-old child and is made of multiple layers of liquid silicone that, when solidified, forms a tough silicone shell. Inside is a set of electrodes immersed in a conductive fluid that comprise the sensors for the abdomen – six electrodes at the front of the abdomen and one reference electrode at the back.
Initial testing of how the pediatric abdomen responds to belt loading was just completed. For these tests, the abdomen was placed in a pediatric crash dummy retrofitted with a prototype pelvis created by the University of Michigan . According to Rouhana, this pelvis is more humanlike, reflecting the rounded shape of an average 6-year-old pelvis.
“In a typical crash dummy the pelvis area is very square. And when a safety belt interacts with this more square pelvis during a crash it will catch almost every time,” Rouhana said. “With a more realistic rounded pelvis, the belt may slip above the pelvic bone, which can be associated with abdominal injuries during a crash.”
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