Autonomous driving, this is how crash test software will change

The autonomous driving the relationship with the car will change forever. Even with only level 3 assistance systems, it will be possible to be momentarily distracted (although always having to be ready to intervene in the event of an emergency), thus leaving the hard work to the “brain” of the car during motorway stretches or city traffic.

Obviously, the tests will also change safetywhich will have to take into account different factors than in the past, such as the position of the driver during the phases of automated driving.

How to predict new scenarios

Toyota has been working for some time THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety), a software capable of virtually simulating and analyzing the consequences of a road accident. Born in 1997, the program has constantly evolved over the years and has now reached the so-called “Version 7”, which reproduces the geometries of the human body even more precisely in order to calculate even more effectively the injuries sustained following an accident .

Toyota bZ4X, the new Japanese electric SUV

Among the contents of this latest update there are also the effects of a crash in the event that the driver and passenger are in a reclined position. This could become a rather common case during autonomous driving phases, when the occupants would adopt a more comfortable and comfortable seat configuration.

According to Toyota, this forecasting model is also suitable for simulating accidents on board a train or an airplane, so much so that since 2021 the Japanese company has given free access to the software to all companies in the world.

But where are we really with autonomous driving? In summary, many brands are investing a lot in these devices, but there is still a long way to go and it concerns the (many) legal issues. To find out more, however, we refer you to our in-depth analysis.