Toward Future ATDs: Anthropometric Differences between Chinese and the U.S. Adult Populations

The anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), or so-called crash test dummies, play a vital role in assessing and improving vehicle occupant protection systems. However, the current adult ATDs (e.g. Hybrid-III ATDs) were developed using anthropometric targets collected five decades ago based solely on the U.S. populations. This study was aimed to investigate the anthropometric differences between populations from China and the U.S. The corresponding percentiles in height and weight were calculated based on the most recent data reported for both Chinese and U.S. adult populations. The results showed that the ATD height targets are consistent to the current U.S. population, but the weight targets for male ATDs need to increase significantly to match the current U.S. population. The 5th percentile female HYBRID-III ATD represents 7th percentile height and 22nd percentile weight of the Chinese female population. The 50th percentile male HYBRID-III ATD represents 79th percentile height and 85th percentile weight of the Chinese male population. The height and weight of the 95th percentile male HYBRID-III ATD are more than 99th percentile for the Chinese male population. The anthropometric differences between the Chinese and U.S. populations highlighted the potential need for developing ATDs specific for the Chinese populations. However, the implications of such differences in the context of restraint system design needs further investigations.