Models, Testing and Public Affairs: The Case for Crash Test Dummies
Faculty Mentor Name
Hadi Ali
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
As the discourse on the evolving qualities of the STEM workforce continues, it becomes prudent to enrich the discussion with contexts which substantially illustrate the impact of workforce readiness on public affairs. We explore the political, economic, cultural foundations of the research and engineering of crash dummy models in the aerospace industry. The research question underlying this work is: how do models and testing in engineering influence public affairs in the context of safety in the aerospace industry? Aerospace safety for years has been known to rely on crash test dummy models created in the 19 50s that are modeled after the average male. We focus on this technology's governance within the United State s. Our research focuses primarily on the development and implementation of a fem ale crash test dummy, which has the dimensions of 4'1 1" and weighs 1 08 pounds, while the average American female is 5'4"? and 1 20 Ibs. This proj ect expl ores the role of mode ling in crash testing to improve safety outcomes for all occupants, and has pol icy implications on pregnant women, people at different ages, people with disabilities, and children. We explore the historical development of the technology with a focus on the scientific, socio-economic, institutional and cultural factors, and the interactions between these factors, that have influenced the technology's evolution, with special attention to the role of engineering education up to the present. We show our analysis on com mon injuries and the vehicle response to a female anatomy in comparison to a ma le, which, ultimately, will allow us to pinpoint changes required to better make the aerospace and automotive industries safer, with results transcending to other modes of transportation. Advocating for a more inclusive approach.
Models, Testing and Public Affairs: The Case for Crash Test Dummies
As the discourse on the evolving qualities of the STEM workforce continues, it becomes prudent to enrich the discussion with contexts which substantially illustrate the impact of workforce readiness on public affairs. We explore the political, economic, cultural foundations of the research and engineering of crash dummy models in the aerospace industry. The research question underlying this work is: how do models and testing in engineering influence public affairs in the context of safety in the aerospace industry? Aerospace safety for years has been known to rely on crash test dummy models created in the 19 50s that are modeled after the average male. We focus on this technology's governance within the United State s. Our research focuses primarily on the development and implementation of a fem ale crash test dummy, which has the dimensions of 4'1 1" and weighs 1 08 pounds, while the average American female is 5'4"? and 1 20 Ibs. This proj ect expl ores the role of mode ling in crash testing to improve safety outcomes for all occupants, and has pol icy implications on pregnant women, people at different ages, people with disabilities, and children. We explore the historical development of the technology with a focus on the scientific, socio-economic, institutional and cultural factors, and the interactions between these factors, that have influenced the technology's evolution, with special attention to the role of engineering education up to the present. We show our analysis on com mon injuries and the vehicle response to a female anatomy in comparison to a ma le, which, ultimately, will allow us to pinpoint changes required to better make the aerospace and automotive industries safer, with results transcending to other modes of transportation. Advocating for a more inclusive approach.