New Tests Using Virtual Dummies Aimed At Saving Real Pedestrians

InnovationTransportationNew Tests Using Virtual Dummies Aimed At Saving Real PedestriansByEd Garsten,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Ed Garsten is a metro Detroit-based reporter who covers autos/mobilityFollow AuthorJun 03, 2026, 11:05am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Virtual human body models are being used to research ways of improving safety to occupants and pedestrians in vehicle collisions.gettyPedestrians are at increased risk of serious injury or death if they are struck by an SUV or pickup because of the vehicles’ high hood heights. But research being conducted by the Collaborative Safety Research Center or CSRC, operated by Toyota Motor Co., and the University of Virginia, aims to provide information that could lead to future vehicle design to mitigate that risk. A key element of this research is through the use of virtual human body models in conjunction with physical crash test dummies, the organizations said during a media briefing this week at the Toyota Research and Development Headquarters in Saline, Michigan. “We’re seeing as industry explosion in virtual testing, virtual data to help assess safety of vehicles,” said Jason Hallman, CSRC senior manager.Specifically the virtual human body model software is called Total Human Model for Safety, or THUMS. Representation of virtual human body model developed by Toyota Motor Co. called THUMS—Total Human Model for Safety.Toyota Motor CorporationCreated by Toyota in 2000, THUMS is now in its seventh version and has been available to the industry since 2022, according to Hallman. Essentially, THUMS can be programmed to simulate any human body type or size, in various sitting and driving positions in endless situations.MORE FOR YOU“The value of the human body model is not just that it can predict injury, but it also helps explain the motion leading to that outcome,”...