MODULAR ANTHROPOMORPHIC TEST DEVICE
Currently, no appropriate anthropomorphic test device (ATD) for ballistic testing is available. The most commonly used ATD for research purposes is the Hybrid III, which was designed to examine human body dynamics in vehicular accidents. Although these devices are well instrumented, they are limited in the information they can provide in evaluating injuries from a ballistic incident. The cast aluminum and steel bone surrogates do not display failure upon impact, and the vinyl skin is less vulnerable to flying debris than human skin.
Wolf Technical Services, Inc. is developing a low-cost modular ATD with frangible bones (using accurate 3-part engineered components and proper fracture mechanisms) and visual indications of injuries caused by acceleration and loading. Wolf considered the top three injury mechanisms and the top four significant regions of injury to design our ATD. Wolf’s cost-effective, modular ATD has the following features: a frangible skeletal system, a representation of blunt trauma, human construction, instrumentation to measure vertical acceleration and loading, and reusable instrument packages.
