Measurement of the Biodynamic Response of the Hand-Arm System and Study of Its Influence on the Vibrational Response of the Steering Wheel

Driver’s hands modify the vibrational response of the steering wheel, hence car manufacturers are used to measure vibrations of the free steering wheel to ensure reproducibility. However, levels measured in this condition do not represent those perceived by the driver. The aim of this study is to predict the vibrational response of the hand-wheel coupled system from measurements of the non-held steering wheel, and of the mechanical impedance of the arm. The measurement of the biodynamic response (BR) of the hand-arm system has been studied many times in the bibliography and tested according to the position of the arm, the coupling force, the excitation level or the measurement protocol used. These extensive measurements have resulted in the ISO 10 068 standard and mechanical representation such as mass-spring-damper models, also presented in the ISO standard. A wide review of the literature is carried out and the most suitable model for driving is chosen. In a second step, a measurement of the vibrational response of the steering wheel, excited by a straight-line driving situation, was carried out in three conditions of the steering wheel (without being held, one-handed and two-handed). Based on the steering wheel impedance, the biodynamic response of the participant and the coupling relationship, the vibration of the hand-wheel coupling system was predicted and compared to the on road measurement. The results are being analyzed and will be presented at the congress.