Overview
ISO/TR 9790:1999 - "Road vehicles - Anthropomorphic side impact dummy - Lateral impact response requirements to assess the biofidelity of the dummy" is an ISO Technical Report (1999) that defines laboratory test procedures and lateral impact response requirements for assessing the biofidelity of side-impact surrogates representing a 50th percentile adult male. The report covers test methods for the head, neck, shoulder, thorax, abdomen and pelvis of crash test dummies, subcomponent devices and mathematical models, and provides the ISO method for calculating an overall biofidelity rating.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and biomechanics: Test rationale and biomechanical basis for lateral impact assessment of body regions (head, neck, shoulder, thorax, abdomen, pelvis).
- Test methods: Detailed laboratory procedures including:
- Pendulum impacts (shoulder, thorax, pelvis)
- Lateral drops (head, thorax, pelvis, abdomen)
- Sled tests (neck, shoulder, thorax, abdomen, pelvis)
- Instrumentation and measurements: Guidance on required instrumentation and recorded response channels (force, deflection, acceleration, time histories) for each test.
- Response requirements: Specified corridors and criteria for impact force vs time, peak force/acceleration, and maximum deflection used to judge biofidelity.
- Overall biofidelity calculation: ISO’s method for aggregating individual test results into a single biofidelity rating for a side-impact surrogate.
- Annex analyses: Extensive annexes with documented cadaver or experimental data analyses (force/time corridors, normalized responses, and regional comparisons) that inform the response requirements.
Applications and who uses it
ISO/TR 9790:1999 is practical for:
- Automotive safety engineers validating side-impact crash test dummies and surrogate components.
- Dummy manufacturers developing or certifying anthropomorphic side impact dummies.
- Crash test laboratories implementing repeatable lateral impact test procedures and quality checks.
- Biomechanical researchers comparing human response data to surrogate responses and refining mathematical human body models.
- Regulators and standards bodies evaluating surrogate biofidelity used in regulatory or consumer protection testing.
Practical uses include validating dummy behaviour in lateral impacts, setting acceptance criteria for dummy models, and supporting development of finite-element or multi-body human models that represent lateral response.
Related standards
- This Technical Report complements other ISO and industry standards covering crash test dummy design, instrumentation, and full-vehicle side-impact test methods. Users should consult current ISO road-vehicle safety standards and regional regulation documents for testing and certification requirements.
Keywords: ISO/TR 9790:1999, anthropomorphic side impact dummy, lateral impact response, biofidelity, crash test dummies, 50th percentile adult male, pendulum impacts, sled tests, lateral drops.
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