Stapp Car Crash Conference 2013
The STAPP Car Crash Conference took
place in Orlando/Florida from November 11 to November 13, 2013. Several
interesting research activities in the field of Human Body Modelling
were presented. The most important presentations related to Human Body
FE modelling are outlined in the following.
Chalmers University
conducted a study investigating the Pre-Crash Phase. 20 Volunteers
performed maximum voluntary braking and were subjected also to
autonomous braking conditions to evaluate several restraint systems
configurations. An EMG was recorded in several anatomical points of the
volunteers. Muscle activations under the test conditions varied between
males and females. In standard and autonomous braking the muscle
activation occurred as a response of the inertial load. Reaction times
for females were shorter as the males. (#2013-01)
UMTRI and the Toyota Technical Center USA conducted
a study in the field of Ergonomics investigating the posture and belt
fit of 46 men and 51 women. The location of belt was analysed taking
underlying skeletal structures into account and recorded in 3D. Based on
this, new belt paths depending on BMI and stature were determined.
(#2013-02)
IFSTTAR, Lyon, and Université Lyon investigated
thoracic injury responses. Therefore, thirty-nine relaxed volunteers
of different anthropometries, gender and age were submitted to
non-injurious sled tests in order to find a correlation between age,
gender and BMI with chest deflection response measured using 3D
reconstruction methods. The analysis suggests that among subjects over
40-years-old, thinness leads to higher K-values (stiffness). (#2013-03)
Ford Motor Corporation and UMTRI evaluated
restraint systems by performing small size ATD and PMHS tests. A new
airbelt prototype for rear seat occupants and its influence on upper
torso, head and neck response was evaluated. All ATD test showed lower
results that the injury reference values reported by Metz et al. (2003).
PMHS did not show injuries induced by the airbelt system. (#2013-04)
Wayne State University simulated
the interaction between pedestrian and vehicle front using Madymo.
Different pedestrian sizes, hoods, velocities and front-end profiles as
well as a pop-up hood systems were evaluated. Aim of the study was to
determine a relationship between these factors and second head impact
(defined as the impact of the pedestrian with the ground after the
primary impact of the pedestrian with the vehicle) characteristics. A
correlation between different profiles and the configuration of the
second impact was found. The hood pop-up system changes the overall
kinematics of the pedestrian during the crash. (#2013-05)
IFSTTAR, Lyon, and Université Lyon investigated
the pedestrian pre-crash reaction recording 51 non-impacting reactions
using a video projection methodology simulation of a 40 kph struck on
the side. Most volunteers were found to run, step-back or stop taking
fright at a dangerous situation. Age and the initial velocity were
identified to be factors influencing the pedestrian response. The data
could be used for crash avoidance systems development. (#2013-06)
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
compared the results from pedestrian head impact testing made for Euro
NCAP to the real world rates of fatal and incapacitating injuries in
U.S. pedestrian crashes. Analysis included tests on windshield,
A-pillar, and hoods. 2.17-4.04% of the pedestrians obtained fatal
injuries and 10.45-15.35% incapacitating injuries. The predicted risks
from both the Euro NCAP and GTR 9 test zones showed high correlations
with both pedestrian fatal and incapacitating injury rates. (#2013-07)
The National Traffic Safety and Environment Laboratory,
Japan, analysed ITARDA data to find a correlation between car impact
velocity and pedestrian injuries considering different types and sizes
of vehicles. Results showed that a 10-km/h reduction in the impact
velocity could mitigate severe pedestrian injuries in cases involving
impact velocities of 40 km/h. The response of the pedestrian was found
to be also strongly dependent on the pedestrian height, front-end
shape, and structure stiffness. (#2013-08)
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration performed
crash test simulations with head FE models and real tests with ATD
hardware and used college football data (head impact) to develop a
revised version of the kinematic “BrIC” head injury criteria.
Rotationtal velocity and not rotational acceleration were found to be
the injury mechanism of head injury. FE models showed a high
correlation between each other regarding the CSDM (Cumulative strain
damage measure) and MPS (Maximum Principal Strain). BrIC can be used as a
complement of HIC. (#2013-10)
TNO conducted a study to
quantify kinematic behaviour and muscle activation in simulated steering
tests in several realistic conditions. Therefore, 108 maneuver and
lane-change tests were performed with 10 volunteers. The drivers were
seated on a rigid seat and restrained with a 4-point belt with
retractor. The reactions were tracked using 3D high-speed cameras. EMG
was used for sensing muscular reactions. Based on the results, corridors
for head displacement, pitch and roll and the displacement of T1,
shoulder, elbow, hand and knee were created. (#2013-13)
The University of Virginia, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Takata Corporation performed
36 tests with PMHS in far-side lateral position with 3 point seat belt
investigating occupant kinematics during crash. A parametric analysis
was performed to determine the influence of the D-ring point position,
pelvis restraint etc. The kinematics of each surrogate was tracked with
3D optoelectric high speed motion system. The 60° oblique impact
showed the higher head excursion than the 90° case. Oblique impacts
seemed to be correlated with an increase of the torso axial rotation.
(#2013-14)
UMTRI investigated the PMHS
injury response in nearside impacts by conducting 11 lateral crash
tests with PMHS. Corridors for the impacted body regions were aimed to
be developed. Post-test CT scans were performed. The results of the
tests were used to develop force-deflection response corridors for the
abdomen, force history response corridors for the pelvis, the midthigh,
and the thorax.. (#2013-15)
The Medical College of Wisconsin analysed
previous sled tests with PMHS to investigate abdomen responses in
lateral crashes. The data was normalised using the impulse-momentum
method. Thorax and Abdomen deflection-time corridors in oblique side
impacts were determined. The data could be used to develop improved
injury reference values. (#2013-16)
The Conference Proceedings including
all the presentations held during the days of STAPP can be purchased
via the following link.
Conference Proceedings
