Buckle up!

poopgiggle · May 3, 2013

The University of Tulsa Crash Reconstruction Research Consortium (TU-CRRC) crashes cars. For science.

We're just starting a YouTube channel to share some of our crash test footage: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTUCRRC

Here is a great one we just did for the Tennessee Highway Patrol:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clK0KC7fPlY[/video]

Stay tuned; there aren't too many videos up now but we're working on getting our archives uploaded. Crash test season is also picking up so we'll have a couple new crashes in the next few weeks.

kdf9511 · May 3, 2013

Our own Mythbusters in action. Pretty cool.

poopgiggle · May 3, 2013

No, if we did the Mythbusters crashes then they would just work. There wouldn't be any entertaining television while the two special effects guys struggle to get their elephant dung together.

dennishoddy · May 3, 2013

These are Radio controlled vehicles. Are their crash test dummy's in there?

Accelerometers or other sensors on board to test G forces?

What exactly are we testing?
I'm a participant in this study. My tax dollars are paying for this.

poopgiggle · May 3, 2013

The cars are pulled into each other by cables. Our intrepid leader has a bigass Hemi Ram that can drag the cars into each other at 50mph or more.

We have accelerometers, gyroscopes, and GPS out the wazoo. I know that the car I was running at Burns Flat had three different systems for collecting that kind of data. In one of the YouTube videos you can see our crash dummy (his name is Skippy) wearing a GoPro I mounted to his head.

The idea is that we get video of the crash, images of the damage, and all kinds of vehicle dynamics data to provide a reference for traffic accident reconstructionists so they can more accurately reconstruct accidents. We do this for a bunch of different LE agencies around the country.

BTW if any of our LE members have any interest in hiring us out, PM me and I'll put you in touch. We also offer training classes!

dennishoddy · May 4, 2013

So if I'm seeing this right, The different year models are a simulation of actual road conditions, vs a MFG putting a car through a crash test to test that individual automobile's ability to survive a crash?

poopgiggle · May 4, 2013

We use different year models because we crash whatever our hosts give us, frequently cars from impound.

You're right though, the goal isn't to determine the safety rating of the cars.

nikatkimber · May 9, 2013

Awesome... On the Impala vs S8, was intent to not hit that other car sitting there?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jz99QSsz8is

poopgiggle · May 9, 2013

I'm not actually sure. I wasn't there for that one. I'll ask and get back to you.

On Monday we're leaving for a massive road trip to Texas, then Florida and back (then immediately to a car hacking conference in Detroit). 3 crashes in all over 2 weeks. If it's stuff we can upload to YouTube we should be able to get some decent footage.

poopgiggle · May 19, 2013

Here's a motorcycle crash we did last week in TX:

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CndOqdd6Coo[/video]

Still haven't remembered to ask about Brent's question, sorry.