Optimal Design of Automobiles for Pedestrian Protection

A system of computer programs has been developed to simulate the injuries suffered by a pedestrian struck by an automobile. The system provides a semi-automatic search for safer hood/grille/bumper configurations and stiffnesses. After the software system was developed, three major optimizations, interspersed with modeling changes to improve the accuracy of the simulations, were performed. Results from the optimization series were used to help design full-scale impact tests using child and adult dummies. In turn, experimental measurements were used to improve the mathematical model of the impact simulator. The results of these studies have provided some insights into vehicle design parameters which produce safer vehicles.