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| In a world first, a Quantum taxis' ability to swerve was tested in a wet KwaZulu-Natal, with surprising results. |
HOWARD College students at the University of KZN last week took
part in a world first test of the limits beyond which a taxi driver will lose
control of a Toyota Quantum, and the results have surprised everyone.
Forensic investigator and owner and MD of the company Accident
Specialists Craig Proctor-Parker said the heavens opened during the tests, which
saw the taxi pulled at speeds of up to 115 km/h before it was unhitched from the
tow cable and sent into half a swerve using automated steering.
To simulate eight passengers, the taxi contained four crash dummies
— one “baby” of 15 kg and three adults weighing between 65 kg and 75 kg, as well
as sand bags in the same range of weights.
As is the norm in taxis, none of the “passengers” were wearing
their seat belts, but once they see how violently all the passengers flail about
during a high speed swerve, it is the opinion at Wheels that even the sandbags would strap in for the next
tests.
The flailing limbs of even a 15 kg baby move violently enough to
damage the face of another passenger.
Craig-Proctor said two factors contributed to the taxi avoiding
rolling over in the apex of the high speed swerve, these being the taxi’s
relative emptiness and a very slick surface on which it was tested.
Low cost dummies
The eight occupants included the driver and conductor, leaving only
six passengers in the 14-seater minibus. Then it had rained all day during the
test, leaving a slick surface that did not create grip to stop the tyres as the
top-heavy passenger cell stayed upright, despite at one point running on only
two wheels. He said other automated crash test experts around the world agree
the data collected during the tests could be the first realistic wet weather
test for a minibus taxi in the world.
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| Cheap but effective crash test dummies. |
What interests the crash testers even more are the very low cost
test dummies designed by the first-year students, led by Professor Riaan
Stopforth at the Stopforth Mechatronics, Robotics and Research Lab and
co-supervised with Dr Shaniel Davrajh. The lab houses the Mechatronics and
Robotics Research Group (MR2G) Search and Rescue Division, the Mechatronics and
Robotics Research Group (MR2G) Bio-Engineering Unit and Touch Prosthetics.
Stopforth told Wheels the
remote control of the minibus taxi and automated swerving manoeuvre was a first
in Africa, while the crash test dummies are the cheapest anatomically correct
dummies in the world right now.
He said conventional crash test dummies that show collision trauma
costs upwards of R500 000, but the groups of student had built a realistic
simulator that shows tissue and bone trauma during a crash — all for about
R1 500 per dummy.
The skeletons of the dummies were constructed with materials
similar to human bone in terms of density and strength and were then covered
with materials with similar properties to human flesh and skin. The torso of
each dummy was equipped with a sensor that contains a gyroscope to detect and
record data about the dynamic behaviour of the dummy during the crash.
The students spent all week in an “autopsy”, analysing where the
passengers were flung during the high speed swerve as well as what damage their
internal organs suffered upon impacting with the surrounds of the taxi.
Stopforth said the first “autopsies” showed ribs puncturing lungs
and broken limbs.
Craig-Proctor said Toyota will be using the captured data to make
the Quantum even safer.
A video is currently being edited using footage from the 10
cameras, and both experts hope it will shock those who don’t wear their seat
belts into wearing them as well as forcing their fellow passengers to strap in.
