• Anthropomorphic test devices (ATD)--otherwise known as crash test dummies--are used by automotive companies, insurance companies, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to test the safety level of different types of vehicles. Crash test dummies are used to test for safety in anything that a human would ride in including cars, trucks, school buses, rollercoaster and amusement rides, motorcycles, and boats. The largest producer of crash test dummies is the company Denton ATD, which along with their smaller competitors, manufacturer several varieties of ATDs within five major categories.
  
  

Hybrid

• Hybrid test dummies were the first type of ATDs to be created. Originally, these represented a male in the 50th percentile of standard medical male characteristics of height and weight. Over time, the range of Hybrids grew to include a 5th percentile woman, a 95th percentile male and children whose height and weight are of those approximately 10, six, and three years of age. The current testing models are Hybrid III and they are primarily utilized to study the effects of frontal impact crashes.
  
  

SID

• As the automotive industry became more concerned with safety standards, additional ATDs were created to study the effects of other types of crashes. The SID, or Side Impact Dummy, was created to study the safety of occupants during a side collision. SID is designed to approximate a 5th percentile woman and shares many of the features of the Hybrid III female crash test dummy. The major difference is that SID contains sensors focused on providing data about the effects of side collisions on the rib cage, spine, and internal organs.
  
  

BioRID

• The BioRID (or Biofidelic Rear Impact Dummy) was created to study the effectiveness of seat belts and head restraints during rear impact crashes. It was created by Denton ATD and the Department of Machine and Vehicle Design at Chalmers University of Technology in G--tenburg, Sweden to provide a crash test dummy possessing a more biologically accurate simulation of the neck and spinal column. The BioRID was developed to represent a 50th percentile male.
  
  

CRABI

• The CRABI (or Child Restraint Air Bag Interaction) ATD was created in 1993 by the Society of Automotive Engineers to test forward and rear facing car seats. CRABI is designed to approximate a 12-month-old child.
  
  

Pedestrian

• The pedestrian is actually one of several specialty crash test dummies that build on the Hybrid III construction. The pedestrian is specifically a sit and stand version of the Hybrid III test dummies and is available as a 50th percentile man, 5th percentile female, and 95th percentile male. They are used to test the results of human and vehicle collisions.
  
  

Other ATDs

• Denton ATD and its competitors create several variations within each standard category of crash test dummy. Additionally, each company creates specialty ATDs for various scientific and military purposes. Denton ATD, for example, has partnered with Veridian Engineering Inc. to develop and produce the "Hybrid Universal Research Dummy (HURD)" for use in the aerospace industry. One of Denton ATD's competitors, First Technology Safety Systems, produces JPAT (Joint Primary Aircraft Training System) crash test dummies for the Armed Services.