Harold Mertz
Encyclopedia
Harold J. "Bud" Mertz is considered to be the driving force in the creation of the Hybrid III
crash test dummy
, the standard dummy used today. Working with General Motors
in the late 1960s, Mertz designed and built the dummy which is today the only recognized test device in both North America
and Europe
for restraint devices which protect against frontal collisions.
Mertz earned his bachelor's degree
in aeronautical engineering at Wayne State University
, and took a course on fluid dynamics
under the tutelage of Lawrence Patrick
, who was at the time using himself as a guinea pig
in investigating the effects of car crashes on human
s. Patrick offered Mertz an opportunity to work as his research assistant, and Mertz accepted.
Mertz went on to do his graduate studies at Wayne State, and worked with cadaver
s in crash testing studies too violent to use live volunteers. He completed his Ph.D.
with a dissertation on whiplash
-type injuries in 1967, In 1969, he was hired as a senior researcher at GM.
Mertz retired from General Motors in 2005, and lives with his wife in Harper Woods, Michigan
.
Hybrid III
This is a break-out article; for the main article, see Crash test dummyThe Hybrid III is the standard crash test dummy as of the beginning of the 21st century...
crash test dummy
Crash test dummy
Crash test dummies are full-scale anthropomorphic test devices that simulate the dimensions, weight proportions and articulation of the human body, and are usually instrumented to record data about the dynamic behavior of the ATD in simulated vehicle impacts...
, the standard dummy used today. Working with General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
in the late 1960s, Mertz designed and built the dummy which is today the only recognized test device in both North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for restraint devices which protect against frontal collisions.
Mertz earned his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in aeronautical engineering at Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
, and took a course on fluid dynamics
Fluid dynamics
In physics, fluid dynamics is a sub-discipline of fluid mechanics that deals with fluid flow—the natural science of fluids in motion. It has several subdisciplines itself, including aerodynamics and hydrodynamics...
under the tutelage of Lawrence Patrick
Lawrence Patrick
Lawrence Patrick may well be considered one of the fathers of the crash test dummy. Between 1960 and 1975, while a biomechanics professor at Detroit's Wayne State University, Patrick described his work by saying "I was a human crash-test dummy", Patrick allowed himself to be subject to rocket...
, who was at the time using himself as a guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
in investigating the effects of car crashes on human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
s. Patrick offered Mertz an opportunity to work as his research assistant, and Mertz accepted.
Mertz went on to do his graduate studies at Wayne State, and worked with cadaver
Cadaver
A cadaver is a dead human body.Cadaver may also refer to:* Cadaver tomb, tomb featuring an effigy in the form of a decomposing body* Cadaver , a video game* cadaver A command-line WebDAV client for Unix....
s in crash testing studies too violent to use live volunteers. He completed his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
with a dissertation on whiplash
Whiplash (medicine)
Whiplash is a non-medical term describing a range of injuries to the neck caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck associated with extension. The term "whiplash" is a colloquialism...
-type injuries in 1967, In 1969, he was hired as a senior researcher at GM.
Mertz retired from General Motors in 2005, and lives with his wife in Harper Woods, Michigan
Harper Woods, Michigan
Harper Woods is a city located on the eastside of suburban Detroit, Michigan, United States. The city is located in Wayne County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 14,236.- History :...
.
External links
- "GM's 'Father' of Hybrid III Crash Test Dummies Has Dedicated His Career to Automotive Safety", General Motors, **broken link, relocated place at the GM Webpage couldn't be found