The CSIR’s capability to test the performance of military vehicles when detonating a landmine has been significantly enhanced with the updating of the organisation’s crash test dummies. Called anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), these crash test dummies are used to simulate human injuries suffered as a result of blast events.

Improvised explosive devices or landmines cause multidimensional injury, impairing numerous physiological systems and organs. The CSIR uses data gathered to develop protection solutions for ground soldiers, as well as military personnel operating in vehicles subjected to these blast events.

The CSIR upgraded its Hybrid III ATD with a rugged and ultra-small internal data acquisition system (DAS). Called nano-DAS, it is the smallest high-shock rated data acquisition device on the market and was specifically designed for landmine blast tests. It has a footprint of only 26 x 31 mm and can feature up to 16 gigabytes of non-volatile flash memory that stores hours of data that can be downloaded after the event.

The benefit of the upgrade lies in improved data quality as the nano-DAS is positioned right where the sensors and area of interest are. Setting up for a blast test using previous generation ATDs was an arduous task since it had long and complicated cables running from the test device to the data storage devices. The nano-DAS is much less complicated, requiring only one cable. This greatly reduces the risk of losing the signal between the transducers and data acquisition sensors and eliminates noise generated by cable motion and electrical interference.

The upgraded system is also extremely rugged and can capture data during severe blast events with minimal or no damage to the test device. It has a high sampling rate, which means it can capture data at a rate of up to a half million data points per second per channel. This high sampling rate enables it to log all the action that takes place during an event that lasts for only a few nanoseconds. The system’s software allows for real-time logging, viewing and exporting, giving researchers the opportunity to view the initial test results on-site.

The upgraded ATD with nano-DAS will significantly advance the CSIR’s landmine military vehicle testing capability.  It improves the fidelity of the data and the efficiency of test set-up, which, in turn, will enable the vehicle manufacturers to provide better protection for the soldiers and military personnel.