麻豆传媒

AND you thought your job was tough. These are the unsung heroes of car design, awaiting their violent duties at BMW鈥檚 Research and Innovation Centre in Munich.

They may be slammed into walls or other vehicles, have bones broken, spines compressed or joints ripped apart 鈥� but it鈥檚 all in a day鈥檚 work.

These crash test dummies鈥� steel skeletons are covered in rubber, vinyl and foam. They come in families, representing men, women, boys and girls of varying ages and builds, and each dummy is fitted with up to 120 sensors to measure the forces of an impact. They wear ID tags which, like patients鈥� charts in a hospital, record their statistics and history.

Before each crash, the dummies鈥� sensors are calibrated and tested (see picture). After their bone-crushing ordeal, the sensors tell BMW鈥檚 engineers where it hurts.

Then the dummies have their broken parts replaced before being strapped in again.

Photographer Edgar Martins spent 18 months in BMW鈥檚 plant and research centre for his latest project, titled 00:00.00, shooting during breaks to capture the facilities devoid of humans.

Martins, who has previously photographed at the European Space Agency鈥檚 facilities and old power stations in Portugal, says his aim is 鈥渢o examine and re-evaluate our relationship with technology and industry and its impact on our social and cultural consciousness鈥�.

This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淏elt up, dummy鈥�