Toyota shares safety technology in hopes of a safer future

Toyota will make its Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) software freely available from January 2021 as part of its efforts toward a safe mobility society. It is a virtual human body model software program for computer analysis of human body injuries caused in vehicle collisions. 

THUMS was the world's first virtual human body model software when it launched in 2000. It enabled simulation and analysis of injuries caused in vehicle collisions. Since then, it has continually evolved to add a range of models with different genders, ages and physiques that include skeletal structures, brains, internal organs, and muscles.

Compared to the physical crash dummies commonly used in vehicle collision tests, THUMS is able to analyze collision-related injuries in more detail, because it precisely models the shapes and durability of human bodies. Conducting simulations on computers also enables repeated analysis of a range of different collision patterns, while reducing development lead times and costs.

THUMS is currently used in vehicle safety research by over 100 vehicle manufacturers, suppliers, universities, research institutions and others, in Japan and overseas. It is being used to research and develop many different safety technologies, such as seatbelts, airbags, and vehicle structures that help reduce injury risks in vehicle collisions with pedestrians.

Making THUMS freely available is expected not only to enable a greater number of people to use it in their vehicle safety research, but to also improve the usability of the software, as users make improvements to the model themselves and share the results with others.