Prediction of the Car Entering Motion

This study focuses on lower-limb and trunk movement in subjects with variable anthropometric characteristics, with the objective of developing a numerical tool for predicting the movement needed to enter a stationary vehicle. A 4–step approach is proposed to achieve this goal. These 4 steps are: 1) build a corrected motion database, containing the motions in which the feet follow their measured trajectory, for use in later movement reconstructions; 2) identify and characterize the motion strategies of the vehicle-entering movement, with each strategy being synthesized for a representative subject with known kinematics attributes; 3) model a part of the predicted motion (the foot and trunk trajectories and the trunk’s spatial orientation) using the movement strategies identified in step 2 in order to simulate the movement for a new subject; and 4) simulate the joint angles in order to verify the previously estimated data. In this study, the human body is represented by a three-dimensional model with 14 degrees of freedom. Two simple open kinematic chains, representing the legs, are connected to the reference body that represents the trunk. An experimental protocol involving a simplified vehicle and an optoelectronic system was used to produce the necessary data to test our approach. The preliminary results indicate a good degree of similarity between the measured and predicted movement.