FIA Institute crash research

FIA Institute research which will affect the future of roll cage design. 

Months of preparation go into the precisely calibrated collision that produces the twisted, broken chassis you're about to see.  The Subaru will slam into a test rig at the Millbrook development facility to examine potential improvements to roll over protection systems fitted to competition rally cars.

The test is a reconstruction of a serious, but not catastrophic crash.  The FIA Institute will use the results from the test to develop the next generation of Roll Over Protection Systems (ROPS).  The optimum solution is to find a cage that is both strong and 'stretchy'. 

Four cars were fitted with roll cages, each built from a different type of steel, varying in strength and ductility.  Each car is covered in sensors, accelerometers and potentiometers.  The crash mimics the forces of a roll, with the car impacting the ground at 30km/hr and the top of the A-pillar taking the full force. 

FROM AUTO#1: ROLL-OVER PROTECTION from FIA Institute on Vimeo.