The recently developed MILHIR (Millbrook Head Impact Rig) test takes the best elements of two previous static rig tests and combines them with fully-instrumented half dummies. During the test, the hybrid II or hybrid III half dummy, which is an anthropomorphic representation of the head and upper torso, is accelerated towards the test area in a manner replicating real life collisions. Data is collected from the dummy in a manner identical to that proven in full-scale crash testing and can be supplemented by high speed film or video. Although originally perfected for lap-belt tests as used in aviation applications, the procedure is now fully developed for the investigation of other types of restraint systems as well as unrestrained passengers. The speed and low cost of the procedure make it useful for comparative testing and the advantages of the new procedure have been confirmed on many programmes. Typically, fifteen to twenty completed impacts are conducted in a single day compared with the two to three possible using the HyGe sled. Gathering a similar amount of data using the sled would also have been many times more expensive compared with the MILHIR Test, which is ideally suited to the engineering development of head and upper torso secondary safety systems. This paper reviews the evolution of the rig and includes a case study. For the covering abstract see ITRD E116488.
Abstract