Intent on upgrading its ability to predict and understand information gained from vehicle crash simulations, Daimler AG’s Vehicle Safety is using X-ray technology at its i-protect Tech Center in Stuttgart. Working with the Fraunhofer Institute for High-Speed, Ernst-Mach-Institut and EMI from Freiburg, the automaker says this new, ultra-fast X-ray system makes it possible to generate still images of specific impact areas in razor-sharp definition during the course of a test crash. The process allows engineers to see inside various safety-relevant components to more accurately assess how they behave and survive in these ultimate stress situations.
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Mercedes anticipates the data generated by the new X-ray tech can be combined with information from conventional computer-simulation models to yield more reliable indicators of how a vehicle or its safety systems will respond in a real-world crash. The automaker also said the teams are exploring possibilities in the area of alternative restraint concepts with an eye towards anticipating what it will take to effectively protect passengers riding in the autonomous vehicles of tomorrow.
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