Toronto, Ontario — Mercedes-Benz has reportedly harnessed the power of high-speed X-ray imaging to capture side impact collision data.
To do this, the automaker suspended a linear accelerator from the ceiling above the test vehicle to serve as an X-ray camera which captured every millisecond of the controlled collision.
On board the test vehicle, a SID II dummy with female anatomy was used to review the effects of such a collision on the driver.
Unlike conventional X-ray procedures, the linear accelerator uses photon energy with up to nine megaelectron volts, allowing it to penetrate more easily through the materials commonly used in vehicle manufacturing.
The technology also can generate a continuous stream of X-ray pulses, each lasting only a few microseconds, that can in turn capture up to 1,000 motion-blur-free images per second—about 1,000 times more than traditional methods.
“The Mercedes-Benz X-ray crash sets a milestone in the development of tools for the future,” said Markus Schäfer, chief technology officer and member of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz.
“With a direct view into the hidden interior [of a vehicle], it can help draw important conclusions for the future improvement of vehicle safety.”
Currently, the automaker has not released details about plans to implement the technology on a wider stage and the product remains at a testing phase.
