Spine Research Institute of San Diego

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to view an excerpt from Machine vs. Man.

Each year the Spine Research Institute of San Diego conducts full scale crash tests at its San Diego proving grounds during CRASH. Over the years, these tests have included frontal crashes, rear crashes, sideswipes, side impact crashes, head-on crashes with airbag deployments, and high speed rear impacts. The Machine vs. Man DVD and videotape features 25 car-to-car crashes with male and female volunteers in low speed rear, frontal, sideswipe, high speed with airbag deployment, and side impacts. They are filmed in full color, and most feature multiple views including on-board, off-board, medium and close shots, as well as high speed film and video for clear slow motion playback. In many cases, close-up footage is also provided of the bumpers to demonstrate that—in most cases—no permanent structural damage results in the low speed crashes. This is the only product of its kind.

Each crash test is slated with an introductory screen which provides the initials of the volunteer, the closing velocity, the resulting change in velocity (delta V), and the subject’s head linear peak acceleration in the x axis (in accordance with the SAE right hand coordinate convention). Moreover, most subsequent footage is also labeled with these crash parameters and, in some cases, the degree of resulting damage is superimposed on the footage.

The videotape version of Machine vs. Man plays from end to end, as any VHS would. With the DVD version, the user has the added advantage of using a menu to select specific crash types (rear, frontal, side impact, etc.) and submenus to allow selection and play of specific crashes within those groups in order to demonstrate specific phenomena or mechanisms. However, the DVD also has a mode in which the entire series of crash tests will play end to end as with the VHS version.

Machine vs. Man is produced without sound in order to allow the presenter to provide his/her own running commentary. If the footage is to be used in a courtroom situation, sound is usually not allowed, as loud crash noises or the authoritative sound of a narrator’s voice are often deemed prejudicial.

The DVD/VHS also comes with a diskette containing an affidavit of authenticity, a “talking points” list which catalogs out the various phenomena that can be observed in each of the individual clips (ramping, head restraint geometry, shoulder displacement, etc.), a complete technical description of the equipment used in the crash testing and filming, and the vital statistics on all volunteers and vehicles.

Machine vs. Man Screen Shots

Play the entire movie;
or select a submenu

Use the submenu to choose
crash type

Select specific crashes by number

Bumper close-ups to juxtapose
the crash kinematics and resulting
property damage

DVD		$395.00

Spine Research Institute of San Diego, Inc.
826 Orange Avenue, Suite 633
Coronado, CA 92118
USA

Voice: (619) 423-5475
Monday-Friday 9:00 am- 5:00 pm (PST)
Fax: (619) 423-3084
Email: info@srisd.com