Thursday, December 2, 2010

Toyota & Wake Forest Join Teams

Toyota has recently invented the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) which can compile data on how the body responds in a car crash. Given the Japanese automaker’s reputation for being negligent, especially in the department of safety, this new software may be Toyota’s ticket out of the dog house.


According to the Winston-Salem Journal, Toyota has recently shared this software with the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University Center for Injury Biomechanics, as a new strategy for studying head injuries involving sports players. With football concussions particularly in the NFL stealing the limelight, local biomedical researchers and Toyota are collaborating to measure the severity of a blow and how long a player must stay out to recover. The Center is receiving a version of THMUS which offers enhanced imaging of major organs, blood vessels, ligaments, tendons and muscles. In return, Toyota hopes to regain the hearts of many American families.

Currently, Toyota and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center are trying to raise awareness of their collaboration in a thirty second national television advertisement. The ad portrays a mother, driving a Toyota Camry, explaining how the automaker developed this software and shared it with Wake Forest. It is an emotional ploy designed to improve Toyota’s image by playing on the heartstring of mothers who might now see Toyota as their hero since the company is sharing findings that may help protect their children, particularly their sons who play football.




Additionally, the ad is part of Toyota’s new campaign titled “Ideas for Good” which the automaker may have released to regain loyal customer support. It is obvious that Toyota has high hopes of restoring their reputation as the industry leader in quality, environmentally friendly technology and responsiveness to its customers. Now they can add collaborator in biomedical technology to their resume.



It has been fun blogging this semester. However, this class is coming to an end and so must my blog. Thanks for reading!

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