Devices, systems, and methods for testing crash avoidance technologies

A soft body system adapted to form the body of a Guided Soft Target for testing crash avoidance technologies in a subject vehicle, wherein the soft body system is adapted to be mounted atop a motorized Dynamic Motion Element (DME) and when so mounted is adapted to collide with the subject vehicle while the DME is moving, the soft body system comprising:

• a plurality of panels each having an overall length, an overall width, and substantially uniform thickness, wherein the overall length and overall width are each at least ten times greater than the thickness;
• the panels being soft and flexible, formed from one or more uniformly-distributed materials and having an overall hardness no greater than 100 Shore OO;
• the panels being adapted to be removably attachable and re-attachable to each other at intersecting angles to form an interior framework of a Guided Soft Target, the interior framework adapted to support a covering that forms an exterior surface of the body of the Guided Soft Target;
• and
• the panels being sufficiently rigid to be self-supporting when attached together to form the interior framework of the Guided Soft Target and when supporting the exterior surface covering of the Guided Soft Target, and when traveling at a speed just prior to the collision with the subject vehicle;
• the panels and exterior surface covering being sufficiently yielding so as to detach from each other upon impact with the subject vehicle and sufficiently yielding so as to impart a minimal force to the subject vehicle upon impact, said force causing minimal to no damage to the subject vehicle.