Development of an Electronic Belt Fit Test Device (eBTD) for Digitally Certifying Seat Belt Fit Compliance

Vehicle seat belt efficacy relates directly to the extent that occupant anthropometric dimensions align with the seat belt geometric design. Transport Canada researched and developed a Belt Fit Test Device (BTD) to assess potential occupant injuries resulting from incongruities between seat belt design and occupant anatomical characteristics. A proposed electronic version (eBTD) will allow vehicle manufacturers to use digital human modeling programs and computer-aided design (CAD) data and tools to evaluate seat belt designs before a vehicle is produced. This software module simulates seat belt routing over CAD data representing the physical device. The simulation incorporates anchor point kinematics and measures the belt position over clavicle, sternum and lap scales.