Citation

Tran TD, Holtz J, Muller G, Müller S. Int. J. Crashworthiness 2022; 27(6): 1743-1752.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/13588265.2021.2008289

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Dummies are applied to validate the restraint system and indicate injury risk, but it is not sufficient for alternative postures, for example, the highly reclined seatback posture in a driverless function and a long journey. Computer simulation provides valuable information and might overcome the disadvantages of the physical dummy and simulate the occupant response better than the dummy in alternative postures. HBMs were used to investigate the occupant kinematics in a frontal crash with a highly reclined seatback, but the kinematics of the occupant in the pre-crash was not considered in such simulation models. The postures of the occupant prior to a crash impact the injury severity. It was assumed that the occupant seats on the front seat with the seatback reclining fully, and a braking maneuver is expected in about 0.5 to 1 s before an accident in the autonomous driving mode. At this moment, the occupant's posture is totally different from the initial time. The occupant kinematics in the successive crash should be calculated and derived from this point. This study addressed the occupant's posture and kinematics in the pre-crash in the case wherein the seatback reclined rearward partly or fully. The study used the MADYMO human body model to simulate the occupant posture and a dataset of the volunteer test to validate the model. It may be used sensitively to investigate the kinematics of the occupant posture in a frontal crash with the reclined seatback, and in some other studies of the occupant response during autonomous driving.

Language: en

Keywords

active human model; braking maneuver; Human body model; muscle activation; reclined posture