Browse Topic: Knee

Items (279)
As automated vehicle technologies enable increased seat recline angles during travel, understanding the biomechanics of injury under these novel occupant postures becomes imperative. This study evaluated the pelvis injury response and associated kinematics of reclined small female post-mortem human surrogates (PMHS) subjected to frontal sled tests across three restraint configurations. Each configuration varied in seat stiffness and the presence of a knee bolster to assess their influence on pelvic dynamics and submarining risk. Nine PMHS tests were conducted using a consistent reclined posture (38° thorax, 75–80° pelvis angle) and production restraint systems. Submarining probability was estimated using a validated logistic regression referenced from previous study. Distinct pelvic kinematics, fracture patterns, and associated injury mechanisms emerged across the test configurations in the current dataset. Configuration 1, featuring a stiffer seat without a knee bolster, exhibited complex pelvic fractures—most notably iliac wing fractures resulting from inward bending of the ilium—and a higher probability of submarining primarily due to rearward pelvic rotation. In contrast, Configuration 2, with a compliant seat and no knee bolster, produced comminuted iliac wing fractures, dominated by shear component and a moderate probability of submarining driven primarily by downward pelvic displacement. Configuration 3, which included a knee bolster, showed injury propagation to the posterior pelvis, and none of the subjects submarined. Each configuration included three specimens; therefore, results should be interpreted with caution. Despite the small sample size, the findings highlight the critical influence of seat stiffness and restraint design on pelvic kinematics and injury mechanisms under reclined conditions. The data provided could serve in validating computational models and anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) in reclined seating configurations.
Somasundaram, KarthikDriesslein, KlausPintar, Frank A.
This study investigated how vehicle front-end geometry, impact speed, and vehicle category influence injury risk to a midsize male pedestrian. Eighty-one generic vehicle (GV) models representing sedans, sport utility vehicles (SUVs), pickup trucks, and minivans sold in the United States were developed by morphing three base models using an automated pipeline. Front-end parameters that were varied included ground clearance (GC), bumper height (BH), hood leading-edge (HLE) height, hood length (HL), bumper lead angle (BLA), hood angle (HA), and windshield angle (WSA). Each vehicle impacted the Global Human Body Models Consortium 50th percentile male simplified pedestrian (GHBMC M50-PS) model at 30, 40, and 50 kph, totaling 243 simulations. Boundary conditions followed the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) pedestrian test protocol. Thirty-five injury metrics were extracted across the head, neck, thorax, abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities. Linear mixed-effects regression models assessed relationships between vehicle front-end geometry, impact speed, and injury outcomes, with predictor selection guided by principal component analysis (PCA) and collinearity diagnostics. Impact speed was the strongest predictor of injury severity across all body regions. GC and HLE height were also dominant predictors. Wrap-type trajectories were common at lower speeds and in SUVs, trucks, and minivans, while sedans and minivans showed roof vaulting at higher speeds. Head injury severity increased with speed and was influenced by HA and BLA. Minivans showed elevated brain injury criterion (BrIC) and cumulative strain damage measure (CSDM25) values, indicating increased diffuse brain injury risk. Trucks produced the highest thoracoabdominal injury metrics, which correlated with HL, HA, and HLE height. Sedans showed higher right-side (trailing leg) femur forces, slightly lower left-side femur forces than SUVs and minivans, and lowest tibia moments. Trucks had greater tibia bending moments, while SUVs and minivans had higher left femur moments compared to sedans. GC and impact speed exacerbated lower extremity injuries, varying by vehicle category. These effects are driven by geometry: Higher GC increases the unsupported span below the knee, promoting tibial bending, while lower HLE heights shift impact forces above the knee, elevating femur injury risk.
Poveda, LuisMiller, Logan E.Edwards, Colin C.Pollock, MadelineArmstrong, William M.Hsu, Fang-ChiGayzik, Scott F.Weaver, Ashley A.Stitzel, Joel D.Devane, Karan S.
This study aims to explore and evaluate the effect of various foot positions on the kinematic and kinetic response of the lower extremity during frontal crashes using a realistic vehicle interior. Frontal impact sled tests were performed with the Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint, 50th-percentile Male (THOR-50M) and Test Device for Human Occupant Restraint, 5th-percentile Female (THOR-05F) anthropometric test device (ATD) in the driver’s seat of a midsize SUV testing buck (with realistic interior components including an instrument panel with steering wheel and steering wheel airbag, seat, three-point seat belt with pretensioner and force-limiter, accelerator pedal, brake pedal, knee airbag, and seat belt retractor pretensioner). Six sled tests were performed in two principal directions of force (PDOF) [three each in frontal (0°) and oblique (−20°) configurations]. The right foot was positioned on the accelerator pedal, fully on the brake, and half on the brake. A single test was conducted with the THOR-05F in an oblique configuration with the foot on the accelerator. Ankle response was analyzed from internal ATD instrumentation. Restraint engagement was found to be consistent across all testing cases. Ankle moment and angle varied based on PDOF and the tested foot condition. Right ankle moment ranged from 70 to −70 Nm in inversion/eversion. Right ankle angles ranged from 37° inversion to 28° eversion. Left ankle moment ranged from 10 to −41 Nm in inversion/eversion. Left ankle angles ranged from 10° eversion to 23° inversion. Differences in lower extremity motion and loading were observed for each testing condition. Placing the foot on the accelerator pedal produced greater ankle moment than either brake pedal condition. Placing the foot on the brake pedal resulted in the highest dorsiflexion angle response. Obliquity increased ankle moment and rotation for both ankles. The United States New Car Assessment Program (US-NCAP) foot position with an oblique PDOF created the highest ankle moment while the in-line brake position in oblique created the highest dorsiflexion rotation. By combining these findings with other efforts focused on naturalistic driving and foot positioning, these results might aid in development of additional testing practices that might enhance our understanding of the lower extremity in nonstandard initial positions.
Noss, JuniorDonlon, John-PaulMorris, AnnaSamier, GermainPark, JosephForman, Jason
To investigate the characteristics of injuries sustained by occupant with different lower limb postures under the frontal impact sled conditions. Using the finite element method a series of simulation analyses were conducted on THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety) AM50 human body model with four different postures, including standing posture, lower limb bent at 100°, 90°, and crossed forward-backward, under the frontal impact scenario at 56 km/h in this study. The simulation results indicated that the overall injury risk predicted by the THUMS AM50 huma body model with lower limb crossed forward-backward was higher than that predicted by the model with other postures. The values of injury criteria including of HIC (Head Injury Criterion), head resultant acceleration, and thoracic VC (Viscous Criterion) predicted by the THUMS AM50 huma body model with lower limb crossed forward-backward were highest in these series simulations. Also, the biomechanical responses, including stress or strain of thoracic/abdominal organs, pelvic cortical bone and knee ligaments, predicted by the THUMS AM50 huma body model with lower limb crossed forward-backward was higher than these predicted by the model with other postures.
Li, Dongqiangjiang, YejieTan, ChunLi, YanyanLi, YihuiWu, HequanJiang, BinhuiZhu, Feng
This paper seeks to define an analytical approach to ergonomic cockpit design for SAE formula style vehicles. The proposed approach uses a data driven driver model based on RAMSIS ergonomic FEA that considers the discomfort, fatigue, and force availability to evaluate cockpit designs that are generated considering defined constraint inputs, such as driver gender and size. The multifunctional model is applicable to various settings of vehicle design and is tuned toward proving performance in operation tasks, as well as setting the groundwork for a multi-variable optimization to determine the preferred driver controls positions for minimum effort and fatigue. In this initial research, RAMSIS ergonomic software is used to generate fatigue and joint discomfort data related to individual joint angles. Anthropometric data is used to calculate the proportional limb lengths from an individual’s gender and height percentile. The optimization function works by selecting a range of driver percentiles and creating random vehicle control positions within the bounds established. From this, each driver is positioned in the car in a random configuration and inverse kinematics calculations evaluate the driver’s limb and joint angles in the driving position. Using the discomfort and fatigue values in the ergonomic dataset, the penalty function evaluates each driving position. The optimization function works towards a minimum discomfort and fatigue rating using provided convergence criteria. Once the acceptance criteria are met, the optimal cockpit position for the desired range of driver percentiles is reported from the position function. A visualization of the optimum driver position for minimum comfort and fatigue is generated from the results of the algorithm, taking into account the constraints and key cockpit features.
Mayor, J.RhettBezaitis, MeganOromi, NegarWinters, EmilyRepp, Alex
Objective: This study aims to evaluate the biofidelity of the Advanced Chinese Human Body Model (AC-HUMs) by utilizing a generic sedan buck model and post-mortem human surrogates (PMHS) test data. Methods: The boundary conditions of the simulation were derived from the PMHS test with the buck vehicle. The methodology involved the pose adjustment of the upper and lower extremities of AC-HUMs, executed through a pre-simulation approach. Subsequently, a 200 milliseconds whole body pedestrian crash simulation was conducted using the buck vehicle and the AC-HUMs pedestrian model. The trajectories of AC-HUMs during the period from initial position to head impact were recorded, including the Head CG, T1, T8 and pelvis. Based on the knee joint, the corridors of trajectories from the PMHS test were scaled to match the Chinese 50th percentile male to evaluate the biofidelity of AC-HUMs's kinematic response. Furthermore, the biomechanical responses were compared with the PMHS tests, including injuries of chest and lower extremities. This comparison comprehensively evaluated the injury prediction capability of the AC-HUMs pedestrian model under whole-body pedestrian collision scenarios. Conclusion: The results indicate that the trajectories of the four markers on the AC-HUMs pedestrian model were all within the scaled trajectory corridors, confirming that the model exhibits good biofidelity. The results reconstructed similar ligament rupture scenarios (left LCL, right ACL, and MCL) as well as partial rib injuries. The findings also revealed potential biofidelity issues in the neck, ribs, knee joint, and tibia regions of the AC-HUMs model. Despite these challenges, the AC-HUMs pedestrian model demonstrates good biofidelity in motion trajectories and possesses the ability to replicate biomechanical responses. This indicates that the AC-HUMs model has significant potential for virtual vehicle safety assessments in China, positioning it as a promising tool for this purpose.
Qian, JiaqiWang, QiangLiu, YuWu, XiaofanHuida, ZhangBai, Zhonghao
With the increasing prevalence of Automatic Emergency Braking Systems (AEB) in vehicles, their performance in actual collision accidents has garnered increasing attention. In the context of AEB systems, the pitch angle of a vehicle can significantly alter the nature of collisions with pedestrians. Typically, during such collisions, the pedestrian's legs are the first to come into contact with the vehicle's front structure, leading to a noticeable change in the point of impact. Thus, to investigate the differences in leg injuries to pedestrians under various pitch angles of vehicles when AEB is activated, this study employs the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) pedestrian finite element model, sensors were established at the leg location based on the Advanced Pedestrian Legform Impactor (APLI), and a corresponding vehicle finite element model was used for simulation, analyzing the dynamic responses of the pedestrian finite element model at different pitch angles for sedan and Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), and comparing injury indicators for the thigh, lower leg, and knee joint. The results indicate that the vehicle's pitch angle reduces the elongation of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in the pedestrian's knee and increases the maximum bending moment of the thigh. For sedan with pitch angles, the maximum bending moment of the pedestrian's lower leg decreases at a vehicle speed of 40 km/h and increases at speeds of 30 km/h and 20 km/h. The impact of SUV on the maximum bending moment of the lower leg is opposite to that of sedan. This study holds guiding significance for optimizing vehicle design, enhancing the effectiveness of AEB systems, and establishing stricter pedestrian protection standards.
Hong, ChengYe, BinZhan, ZhenfeiLiu, YuWan, XinmingHao, Haizhou
Recent successes in cultivating human heart tissue, knee cartilage, and pharmaceutical crystals in space have relied on technology that was initially developed decades ago with support from NASA.
The role of Virtual Reality (VR) platform for experimental studies to mitigate severe injuries is known. A Virtual Reality (VR) module was developed to provide an Indian auto-rickshaw driver experience using commercially available Oculus Quest 2 VR headset. A Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ) was developed and a study carried out among 20 auto-rickshaw drivers in Thanjavur, India. The DBQ questions provided data to shortlist the most likely near crash experiences among the surveyed drivers. A virtual reality environment was created using UNITY HUB software for one selected scenario from the DBQ survey analysis. A group of 10 volunteers to experience the event using VR gear in the biomechanical laboratory with reflective markers fixed on the body joints of the volunteers to obtain corresponding joint angles in the Neck, Lumbar, Shoulder, Hip, and Knee regions. This study identified various pre-crash reactions from drivers and compared them to the normal driving posture to determine the extent of diversion.
S, RagulG, SundhareswaranSankarasubramanian, HariharanPrasanna, SelvaVijayaraghavan, Sriram
Bilateral knee impacts were conducted on Hybrid III and THOR 5th percentile female anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), and the results were compared to previously reported female PMHS data. Each ATD was impacted at velocities of 2.5, 3.5, and 4.9 m/s. Knee–thigh–hip (KTH) loading data, obtained either via direct measurement or through exercising a one-dimensional lumped parameter model (LPM), was analyzed for differences in loading characteristics including the maximum force, time to maximum force, loading rate, and loading duration. In general, the Hybrid III had the highest loading rate and maximum force, and the lowest loading duration and time to peak force for each point along KTH. Conversely, the PMHS generally had the lowest loading rate and maximum force, and the highest loading duration and time to peak force for each point along KTH. The force transfer from the knee to the femur was 79.2 ± 0.3% for the Hybrid III 5th female, 82.7 ± 0.4% for the THOR-05F, and 70.6 ± 1.7% for the PMHS. The force transfer from the knee to the hip was 60.6 ± 0.5% for the Hybrid III 5th female, 41.4 ± 0.4% for the THOR-05F, and 57.0 ± 3.0% for the PMHS. While the Hybrid III aligned more with the PMHS force transfer ratios, the loading characteristics of the THOR-05F were more similar to the PMHS.
Carpenter, Randolff L.Berthelson, Parker R.Donlon, John-PaulForman, Jason L.
Researchers have developed a fully knitted, circuit-embedded knee wearable for wireless sensing of joint motion in real time. Compared to other knitted electronics, this model has fewer externally integrated components and a more sensitive sensor, making it less error prone.
The knee is one of the regions of interest for pedestrian safety assessment. Past testing to study knee ligament injuries for pedestrian impact only included knees in full extension and mostly focused on global responses. As the knee flexion angle and the initial ligament laxity may affect the elongation at which ligaments fail, the objectives of this study were (1) to design an experimental protocol to assess the laxity of knee ligaments before measuring their elongation at failure, (2) to apply it in paired knee tests at two flexion angles (10 and 45 degrees). The laxity tests combined strain gauges to measure bone strains near insertions that would result from ligament forces and a custom machine to exercise the knee in all directions. Failure was assessed using a four-point bending setup with additional degrees of freedom on the axial rotation and displacement of the femur. A template was designed to ensure that the two setups used the exact same starting position. The protocol was applied to six pairs of knees which were tested until the failure of all ligaments. In the laxity tests, a higher compliance of the knee was observed at 45 degrees compared to 10 degrees. Minimum lengths associated with the beginning of bone loading were also successfully identified for the collateral ligaments, but the process was less successful for the cruciate ligaments. The failure tests suggested increased elongation and length at failure for the ligaments and their bundles at 45°. This could be consistent with the higher compliance in static test, but the minimum lengths identified on the collaterals did not explain this difference during failure. The results highlight the possible relationship between position, laxity and elongation at failure in a lateral loading and provide a dataset including 3D coordinates of insertions to continue the investigation using a modelling approach. Perspectives are also outlined to improve upon the laxity determination protocol.
Benadi, SaharTrosseille, XavierPetit, PhilippeUriot, JérômeLafon, YoannBeillas, Philippe
This user’s manual covers the small adult female Hybrid III test dummy. It is intended for technicians who work with this device. It covers the construction and clothing, disassembly and reassembly, available instrumentation, external dimensions and segment masses, as well as certification and inspection test procedures. It includes instructions for safe handling of the instrumented dummy, repairing dummy flesh, and adjusting the joints throughout the dummy.
Dummy Testing and Equipment Committee
This user's manual covers the Hybrid III 10-year old child test dummy. The manual is intended for use by technicians who work with this test device. It covers the construction and clothing, assembly and disassembly, available instrumentation, external dimensions and segment masses, as well as certification and inspection test procedures. It includes guidelines for handling accelerometers, guidelines for flesh repair, and joint adjustment procedures. Finally, it includes drawings for some of the test equipment that is unique to this dummy.
Dummy Testing and Equipment Committee
To solve the problems of ethnic size difference and model simplification in existing research, three kinds of lower limb finite element models of adult male with percentile 5, 50 and 95 were established based on the size characteristics of Chinese human body.The bionic reliability of the models was verified according to three different lower limb biomechanical experiments. Through the simulation analysis of pedestrian lower limb with different percentiles in side impact, it was found that in the pedestrian low-speed side impact accident, the lower percentile human body has a higher risk of lower limb injury,especially the injury of knee joint. The soft foam structure can play a better cushioning and energy absorption role in the impact process. The response parameters decrease with the decrease of percentile.In addition,the soft foam can significantly reduce the risk of lower limb injuries when impacting the lower limbs laterally at low speed.
Chen, XinzheChen, JiqingLan, FengChongCheng, Renjie
The purpose of this document is to provide the user with the procedures needed to properly assemble and disassemble the 50th percentile male Hybrid III dummy, certify its components and verify its mass and dimensions. Also within this manual are guidelines for handling accelerometers, repairing flesh and setting joints.
Dummy Testing and Equipment Committee
This SAE Recommended Practice outlines a series of performance recommendations, which concern the whole data channel. These recommendations are not subject to any variation and all of them shall be adhered to by any agency conducting tests to this practice. However, the method of demonstrating compliance with the recommendations is flexible and can be adapted to suit the needs of the particular equipment the agency is using. It is not intended that each recommendation be taken in a literal sense, as necessitating a single test to demonstrate that the recommendation is met. Rather, it is intended that any agency proposing to conduct tests to this practice shall be able to demonstrate that if such a single test could be and were carried out, then their equipment would meet the recommendations. This demonstration shall be undertaken on the basis of reasonable deductions from evidence in their possession, such as the results of partial tests. In some systems, it may be necessary to divide the whole channel into subsystems, for calibration and checking purposes. The recommendations have been written only for the whole channel, as this is the sole route by which subsystem performances affect the quality of the output. If it is difficult to measure the whole channel performance, which is usually the case, the test agency may treat the channel as two or more convenient subsystems. The whole channel performance could then be demonstrated on the basis of subsystem results, together with a rationale for combining the subsystem results together. SAE J211-1 of this SAE Recommended Practice covers electronic instrumentation. SAE J211-2 covers photographic instrumentation.
Safety Test Instrumentation Standards Committee
ABSTRACT The objective of this effort is to create parametric Computer-Aided Design (CAD) accommodation models for crew and dismount workstations with specific tasks. The CAD accommodation models are statistical models that have been created utilizing data from the Seated Soldier Study and follow-on studies. The final products are parametric CAD models that provide geometric boundaries indicating the required space and adjustments needed for the equipped Soldiers’ helmet, eyes, torso, knees, boots, controls, and seat travel. Clearances between the Soldier and surrounding interior surfaces and direct field of view have been added per MIL-STD-1472H. The CAD models can be applied early in the vehicle design process to ensure accommodation requirements are met and help explore possible design tradeoffs when conflicts with other design parameters exist. The CAD models are available to government and industry partners and via the GVSC public website once they have undergone Verification. Citation: F. Huston II, G. Zielinski, M. Reed, PhD, “Creation of CAD Accommodation Models for Military Ground Vehicle Design,” In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 16-18, 2022.
Huston, Frank J.Zielinski, Gale L.Reed, Matthew P.
This procedure establishes a recommended practice for performing a Low Speed Knee Slider test to the Hybrid III 50th Male Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD or crash dummy). This test was created to satisfy the demand from industry to have a certification test which produces similar results to an actual low energy automotive impact test. An inherent problem exists with the current certification procedure because the normal (2.75 m/s) knee slider test has test corridors that do not represent typical displacements seen in these low energy impact tests. The normal test corridors specify a force requirement at 10 mm and at 18 mm, while the low speed test needs to have a peak displacement around 10 mm.
Dummy Testing and Equipment Committee
This document describes the 2-D computer-aided design (CAD) template for the HPM-1 H-point machine or HPD available from SAE. The elements of the HPD include the curve shapes, datum points and lines, and calibration references. The intended purpose for this information is to provide a master CAD reference for design and benchmarking. The content and format of the data files that are available are also described.
Human Accom and Design Devices Stds Comm
This SAE Standard provides the specifications and procedures for using the H-point machine (HPM1) to audit vehicle seating positions. The HPM is a physical tool used to establish key reference points and measurements in a vehicle (see Figure 1 and Appendix A). The H-point design tool (HPD) is a simplified CAD2 version of the HPM, which can be used in conjunction with the HPM to take the optional measurements specified in this document, or used independently during product design (see Appendix D). These H-point devices provide a method for reliable layout and measurement of occupant seating compartments and/or seats. This document specifies the procedures for installing the H-point machine (HPM) and using the HPM to audit (verify) key reference points and measurements in a vehicle. The devices are intended for application at designated seating positions. They are not to be construed as tools that measure or indicate occupant capabilities or comfort. They are not intended for use in defining or assessing temporary seating, such as folding jump seats.
Human Accom and Design Devices Stds Comm
Researchers have developed a lighter, yet more robust knee brace for the elderly who suffer from knee problems. Using 3D printing techniques, the team has managed to reduce the weight of a traditional exoskeleton knee brace (typically built using metal) by 30 percent, thanks to an innovative design that uses lightweight plastic and assistive springs.
This document describes the 3D computer-aided design (CAD) parts and file formats for the HPM-1 H-point machine available from SAE. The intended purpose for this information is to provide a master CAD reference for design and benchmarking.
Human Accom and Design Devices Stds Comm
The three-wheeled "Auto-Rickshaws" [Auto] plays a significant role in road transportation, especially in India. The crash safety and reconstruction studies have been widely used in four-wheelers, whereas the availability of such data for Auto was limited. In recent times, accident data processing from available videos is being utilized to observe the crash scenario. The crash parameters can be given as inputs to the crash analysis. This paper focuses on the process the real-world accident data and study crash characteristics. With limitation in the availability of detailed injuries post-crash, the study was restricted to reconstructing crash kinematics and estimating indicative injuries to the driver. The source of video data is videos of crash available in public domains like YouTube. PYTHON video processing tool has been used to process the set of real-world accident video data. Object detection, Pixel per meter computation and object tracking are the significant steps to process the accident data, from which the collision speed is obtained. The auto-rickshaw CAE model and driver dummy (Adult male 50 percentile) were used in LS DYNA to conduct crash analysis at obtained collision speed. The reconstructed crash with matching kinematics showed that the driver experienced a noticeable amount of impact forces near the neck joint and knees. This methodology is proposed as a step in the direction of understanding occupant safety in auto rickshaws.
S, RagulSankarasubramanian, HariharanKondaveeti, N S V NikasYadav, Pandugayala Nithin
Assessment of Acclimation of 5th Percentile Female and 50th Percentile Male Volunteer Kinematics in Low-Speed Frontal and Frontal-Oblique Sled Tests09-09-01-00015/12/2021
In order to accurately represent the response of live occupants during pre-crash events and frontal crashes, computational human body models (HBMs) that incorporate active musculature must be validated with appropriate volunteer data that represents a wide range of demographic groups and potential crash conditions. The purpose of this study was to quantify and compare occupant kinematic responses for unaware (relaxed) small female and midsize male volunteers during low-speed frontal and frontal-oblique sled tests across multiple test conditions, while recognizing, assessing, and accounting for potential acclimation effects due to multiple exposures. Six 5th percentile female and six 50th percentile male volunteers were exposed to multiple low-speed frontal and frontal-oblique sled tests on two separate test days. Volunteers experienced one test orientation and two pulse severities (1 g and 2.5 g) on each test day. A Vicon motion capture system was used to quantify the three-dimensional (3D) kinematics of the volunteers. Peak forward excursions of select body locations were compared within a test day and between test days for the same test condition to determine if and how acclimation occurred. Differences between demographic groups were also compared after accounting for any observed acclimation. Acclimation was not observed within a test day but was observed between test days for some demographic groups and some test conditions. In general, head, neck, and shoulder responses were affected, but the elbow, hip, and knee responses were not. Males generally moved farther forward compared to females during the frontal tests, but both groups moved forward similarly during the frontal-oblique tests. Overall, this study provides new female and male biomechanical data that can be used to further develop and validate HBMs that incorporate active musculature in order to better understand and assess occupant response and injury risk in pre-crash events and frontal crashes.
Chan, HanaAlbert, Devon L.Gayzik, F. ScottKemper, Andrew R.
Knee airbags (KABs) are one countermeasure in newer vehicles that could influence lower extremity (LEX) injury, the most frequently injured body region in frontal crashes. To determine the effect of KABs on LEX injury for drivers in frontal crashes, the analysis examined moderate or greater LEX injury (AIS 2+) in two datasets. Logistic regression considered six main effect factors (KAB deployment, BMI, age, sex, belt status, driver compartment intrusion). Eighty-five cases with KAB deployment from the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) database were supplemented with 8 cases from the International Center for Automotive Medicine (ICAM) database and compared to 289 CIREN non-KAB cases. All cases evaluated drivers in frontal impacts (11 to 1 o’clock Principal Direction of Force) with known belt use in 2004 and newer model year vehicles. Results of the CIREN/ICAM dataset were compared to analysis of a similar dataset from NASS-CDS (5441 total cases, 418 KAB-deployed). KABs were associated with a reduced rate of LEX injury in the CIREN/ICAM dataset (OR = 0.612, p=0.065), but were inconclusive in the NASS-CDS dataset (OR=0.946, p=0.761). KABs were associated with a reduced rate of knee/thigh/hip injury in CIREN/ICAM (OR = 0.555, p = 0.035) but had no measurable effect on below knee injury in CIREN/ICAM (OR = 0.928, p = 0.765) or NASS-CDS (OR=1.102, p=0.641). In conclusion, KABs were associated with reduced rates of LEX and knee/thigh/hip injury in the CIREN/ICAM dataset and had no measurable effect on below knee injury for drivers in frontal crashes in either dataset.
Schafman, Michelle A.Meitzner, MichaelBaker, DerekBeebe, MaryAnnBentz, JillSadrnia, HamedKleinert, JulieWang, Stewart
Interest in rear-seat occupant safety has increased in recent years. Information relevant to rear-seat occupant interior space and kinematics are needed to evaluate injury risks in real-world accidents. This study was conducted to first assess the effect of size and restraint conditions, including belt misuse, on second-row occupant kinematics and to then document key clearance measurements for an Anthropomorphic Test Device (ATD) seated in the second row in modern vehicles from model years 2015-2020. Twenty-two tests were performed with non-instrumented ATDs; three with a 5th percentile female Hybrid III, 10 tests with a 10-year-old Hybrid III, and 9 tests with a 6-year-old Hybrid III. Test conditions included two sled bucks (mid-size car and sport utility vehicle (SUV)), two test speeds (56 and 64 km/h), and various restraint configurations (properly restrained and improperly restrained configurations). Head and knee trajectories were assessed. Head excursion was 38 percent greater with the 5th percentile female ATD than with the 6-year-old ATD when lap-shoulder belted in the 56 km/h sled tests with the passenger car. Contact between the head and the seat was only observed when the shoulder belt was placed behind the torso with the 5th percentile female and with the 10-year-old ATD, irrespective of vehicle type. In the static seated position, the nose-to-seatback was more than 11 cm greater with the SUV than with the passenger car used in the sled test series. The analysis of clearance data indicated that the relative distance between the nose and the seatback was smaller in modern compact SUVs than modern small cars at 53.5±5.3 cm and 57.6±5.9 cm respectively. Knee clearance was also lowest in compact SUVs than other vehicle types. The sled test results in combination with the clearance measurements, highlight an increased potential for head contact between the second-row occupant and front seatback in small cars and compact SUVs in frontal crashes, in particular when an occupant is improperly restrained.
Parenteau, ChantalBurnett, RogerDanthurthi, Sri Sai KameshwariAndrecovich, Christopher
With growing environmental concerns associated with gas-powered vehicles and busier city streets, micro-mobility modes, including traditional bicycles and new technologies, such as electric scooters (e-scooters), are becoming solutions. In 2018, e-scooter usage overtook other shared micro-mobility modes with over 38 million e-scooter trips taken. Concurrently, the societal concern regarding the safety of these devices is also increasing. To examine the types of injuries associated with e-scooters and bicycles, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a probability sample of US hospitals that collects information from emergency room (ER) visits related to consumer products, was utilized. Records from September 2017 to December 2018 were extracted, and those associated with powered scooters were identified. Injury distributions by age, sex, race, treatment, diagnosis, and location on the body were explored. The number of person-trips was obtained to perform a risk analysis. An estimated 17,772 injuries were associated with powered scooters. Nearly 45% of injuries occurred in persons aged 10-29 years. Almost 87% of ER visits consisted of patients being treated and released, whereas nearly 11% were hospitalized (the remaining 2% either received no treatment or the disposition was unknown). Common injuries included contusions/abrasions, fractures, and lacerations. Almost 15% of the injuries associated with powered scooters occurred to the face; the head, ankle, lower leg, and knee were other common body parts injured. An estimated 51 million person-trips were taken during this time period, resulting in an injury rate of 346 injuries/million trips. In comparison, 4.7 billion person-trips were taken on bicycles, resulting in an injury rate of 114 injuries/million trips.
Watson, Heather NGarman, Christina MRWishart, JeffreyZimmermann, Jacqueline
Occupant dynamics during passenger vehicle underride has not been extensively evaluated. The present study examined the occupant data from IIHS rear underride crash tests. A total of 35 crash tests were evaluated. The tests were classified as full-width (n = 9), 50% overlap (n = 11), and 30% overlap (n = 15). A 2010 Chevrolet Malibu impacted the rear underride guard of a stationary trailer at 35 mph. Several occupant kinematics and dynamics data including head accelerations, head injury criteria, neck shear and axial forces, neck moments, neck indices, chest acceleration, chest displacement, chest viscous criterion, sternum deflection rate, and left/right femur forces/impulses, knee displacements, tibia axial forces, upper/lower tibia moments, upper/lower tibia indices, and foot accelerations were measured. The vehicle accelerations, delta-Vs, and occupant compartment intrusions were also evaluated. The results indicated that the head and neck injury parameters were positively correlated with driver A-pillar rearward intrusion. The 30% overlap crashes showed significantly higher intrusion and head and neck injury values than the 50% and full-width crashes. No strong relationship between head and neck injury parameters and vehicle delta-V or peak acceleration was observed. None of the chest injury criteria exceeded the chest IARV tolerances in the crash tests examined. No relationship between chest injury parameters and vehicle delta-V, acceleration or driver A-pillar rearward intrusion was observed. No strong relationship was observed between left/right leg injury parameters and vehicle delta-V, acceleration or driver A-pillar intrusion. Only for two crash tests, the “left upper tibia A-P moment”, “left upper tibia resultant moment” and “left upper tibia index” exceeded the IARV tolerances. This study suggested that in underride crashes there is a higher chance of head/neck injuries than other body regions. Also, in addition to delta-V, other parameters such as percent overlap and occupant compartment intrusion should be taken into consideration when analyzing the biomechanics of underride.
Atarod, Mohammad
Limited data exist on the injury tolerance and biomechanical response of humans to high-rate, under-body blast (UBB) loading conditions that are commonly seen in current military operations, and there are no data examining the influence of occupant posture on response. Additionally, no anthropomorphic test device (ATD) currently exists that can properly assess the response of humans to high-rate UBB loading. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine the response of post-mortem human surrogates (PMHS) in various seated postures to high-rate, vertical loading representative of those conditions seen in theater. In total, six PMHS tests were conducted using loading pulses applied directly to the pelvis and feet of the PMHS: three in an acute posture (foot, knee, and pelvis angles of 75°, 75°, and 36°, respectively), and three in an obtuse posture (15° reclined torso, and foot, knee, and pelvis angles of 105°, 105°, and 49.5°, respectively). Tests were conducted with a seat velocity pulse that peaked at ~4 m/s with a 30-40 ms time to peak velocity (TTP) and a floor velocity that peaked at 6.9-8.0 m/s (2-2.75 ms TTP). Posture condition had no influence on skeletal injuries sustained, but did result in altered leg kinematics, with leg entrapment under the seat occurring in the acute posture, and significant forward leg rotations occurring in the obtuse posture. These data will be used to validate a prototype ATD meant for use in high-rate UBB loading scenarios.
Zaseck, Lauren WoodBonifas, Anne CMiller, Carl SOrton, Nichole RitchieReed, Matthew PDemetropoulos, Constantine KOtt, Kyle ADooley, Christopher JKuo, Nathanael PStrohsnitter, Leah MAndrist, Joseph RLuongo, Mary EDrewry III, David GMerkle, Andrew CRupp, Jonathan D
While it is recognized that collisions involve pedestrians of all sizes, this Information Report addresses performance specifications for a midsize adult male research dummy. This approach stems from the greater knowledge of biomechanics and existing dummy technologies for the midsize male relative to other adult sizes and children. While not the initial objective, it is envisioned that additional performance specifications for other sizes of pedestrian research dummies will be developed in the future based on accepted scaling procedures. The specific requirements for the pedestrian dummy have been based on a collective assessment of pedestrian injury, response, and anthropometry priorities from the experimental, epidemiologic, and computational literature. In general, the objective was to specify performance specifications based on human characteristics and the impact response of post-mortem human subjects rather than to specify the design of a particular physical device. Based on the perceived applications for a research pedestrian dummy, the primary focus of this document centered on biofidelic whole-body kinematics during a vehicle-pedestrian impact. Specific body regions were prioritized (see A.1.5) based on a combination of pedestrian injury, including both severity and frequency. Based on the priorities established by a review committee, the specifications provided in this document include both mandatory and recommended requirements as indicated by the terms “shall” and “should,” respectively. As pedestrian injury trends and dummy hardware continue to evolve in the future, it is anticipated that this document will expand to include more mandatory requirements in more body regions. Finally, it should be noted that the test procedures described in this document only apply to the specific tests required to assess pedestrian dummy biofidelity. It is anticipated that pedestrian dummies meeting the performance criteria of this document will be used in a wide variety of tests, requiring specialized test and data procedures.
Human Biomechanics and Simulations Standards Committee
An energy harvester attached to the wearer’s knee can generate 1.6 μW of power while the wearer walks without any increase in effort. The energy is enough to power small electronics like health monitoring equipment.
Innovative Knee Airbag (KAB) Concept for Small Overlap and Oblique Frontal Impacts2019-01-06214/2/2019
Considerable research has been conducted in terms of attempting to reduce lower leg injury risk in full frontal impacts, in some cases by the use of a knee airbag (KAB). However, there has been limited research into the performance of KAB systems during a crash test with increased oblique loading, such as the IIHS small overlap frontal test, an oblique moving deformable barrier test (OI) being researched by NHTSA, and a mobile progressive deformable barrier test (MPDB) that is expected to be implemented by Euro NCAP in the next few years. The objective of the current numerical study was concentrated on the evaluation of an innovative KAB concept design intended to reduce ATD right inboard lower leg/foot responses under small overlap and oblique loading conditions. A novel appendage KAB concept design was developed with the help of morphing and computational studies which were performed with different ATD sizes. In the study, one of the lower leg/foot responses was monitored and compared over a conventional KAB design. Cases investigated in the study showed that the novel appendage KAB concept design acts as a conventional KAB in full frontal impact modes (similar right inboard femur responses) and has the potential to reduce right inboard lower leg/foot responses by an average 16% (small overlap impact mode) and 20% (oblique impact mode) over the conventional KAB design. Furthermore, it was noted that the novel design could potentially be adapted to achieve targeted right inboard lower leg responses in full, offset and oblique frontal crash tests with minimal impact on the left outboard responses.
Makwana, RahulJindal, Pardeep
South Ural State University Chelyabinsk, Russia
In order to compare test results obtained from different crash test facilities, standardized coordinate systems need to be defined for crash test dummies, vehicle structures, and laboratory fixtures. In addition, recorded polarities for various transducer outputs need to be defined relative to positive directions of the appropriate coordinate systems. This SAE Information Report describes the standardized sign convention and recorded output polarities for various transducers used in crash testing.
Safety Test Instrumentation Standards Committee
Abstract - Shared autonomous vehicles open possibilities for novel seating configurations, enabling greater interior spaciousness by making the front row seats rear-facing or removing one row of seats altogether. Frontal crash simulations with a forward-facing Hybrid III mid-size male FEM demonstrated that the unrestrained legs can swing up freely until they stop at the end of the range of knee extension. High tibia moments and tibia indices result. Similar crash simulations with the GHBMC M50-O demonstrated knee ligament separation, while those with the more advanced GHBMC F05-O did not. To better understand the knee responses, the mass, C.G. and moments of inertia of the GHBMC M50 legs were applied to the GHBMC F05 with its more detailed representation of the knee. The peak knee ligament loads are compared to published failure load data.
Lin, Chin-HsuHortin, MitchellIrwin, Annette
The advanced Pedestrian Legform Impactor (aPLI) incorporates a number of enhancements for improved lower limb injury prediction capability with respect to its predecessor, the FlexPLI. The aPLI also incorporates a simplified upper body part (SUBP), connected to the lower limb via a mechanical hip joint, that expands the impactor’s applicability to evaluate pedestrian’s lower limb injury risk also in high-bumper cars.As the aPLI has been developed to be used in standardized testing, further considerations on the impactor’s manufacturability, robustness, durability, usability, and repeatability need to be accounted for.. The aim of this study is to define and verify, by means of numerical analysis, a battery of design modifications that may simplify the manufacturing and use of physical aPLIs, without reducing the impactors’ biofidelity. Eight candidate parameters were investigated in a two-step numerical analysis. One of the parameters was related to the SUBP structure, six to the mechanical characteristics of the hip joint (x-rotation, and y and z displacements), and one to the ankle joint characteristics (x-rotation). First, the individual effect of each candidate parameter on biofidelity targets was assessed based on linear regression analysis of three peak lower limb injury measurements (femur bending moment, knee medial collateral ligament elongation and tibia bending moment) from impact simulations conducted with either a human full-body model or with the corresponding aPLI model. Second, the same methodology was applied to assess the cumulative effect of the candidate parameters on the biofidelity targets with different aPLI versions that incorporated a gradually increasing number of simplifications. The most remarkable results revealed that a compact SUBP connected to the mechanical lower limb by a highly simplified cylindrical mechanical hip joint can be incorporated to the aPLI design without reducing its biofidelity. In addition, the methodology applied to simplify the aPLI design proved effective to find the simplest solution.
Isshiki, TakahiroAntona-Makoshi, JacoboKonosu, AtsuhiroTakahashi, Yukou
Lower extremities are easily injured in traffic accidents. During pedestrian-vehicle crashes, pedestrian lower extremities are subjected to the influence of combined shear force and bending force, which could bring about ligament tear and bone fracture. According to 2018 China New Car Assessment Program (C-NCAP) pedestrian testing protocol, where the flexible pedestrian legform impactor (FLEX-PLI) is struck from the right lateral by vehicle, the injuries of the ipsilateral side leg are taken into account for assessing the performance of lower extremities. However, the contralateral leg injuries and deformation are neglected in the current testing protocol and the pedestrian walking gaits and the e-bike riding scenario have been little consideration. The purpose of this study is to investigate the injury characteristics of the contralateral lower extremities in pedestrian-vehicle and bicyclist-vehicle crashes. Impact simulations were conducted by the Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) biomechanical dummy, which the testing vehicle struck the pedestrian of the standing and walking postures as well as the bicyclist at the speed of 40 km/h. The femur, fibula, tibia stress, the stretching ratio of ligaments, and the bending angle of the knee joints for the contralateral side legs were measured. Meanwhile, a comparison of the injuries and motions between the two legs was analyzed. The results show that the walking gait increased the injury risk of long bone fracture and ligation rupture, and the e-bike riding posture enlarged the injury risk of long bone fracture and reduced the ligation stretching ratio compared the standing case. Moreover, the stretching ratio of the contralateral LCL was larger than that of the ipsilateral MCL for all scenarios.
Chen, ChaoFang, Ruiwang, Longliang
Seatbelt and airbags provide effective occupant restraint, but are also potential to induce intrusive deformation and submarining injuries in motor vehicle crashes. To address these issues, this study puts forward a new restraint concept that applies restraint loads on shoulders and knees/femurs, i.e., the sturdiest regions of human body, via a combined use of shoulder bolster and knee bolster based on biomechanical computational analysis. The load characteristics of the two bolsters were optimized to obtain protection effectiveness superior to conventional use of seatbelt and airbag. Occupant kinematics and kinetics were taken into account, including the excursions of head, shoulders and knees, the accelerations of head and chest, and the compressions of thorax on several locations on the ribcage. The injury risk of rib fractures was monitored based on the strain levels of ribcage. Results show that applying adaptive restraint loads on the sturdy regions of human body using shoulder bolster and knee bolster can ensure reasonable kinematical motion and acceptable injury levels of occupant, and can also avoid intrusive deformations in thorax and abdomen as well as airbag hazards. The protection effect of shoulder bolster and knee bolster is comparable or superior to that of using seatbelt and airbag. To achieve a balance of comfort and safety in autonomous driving environment, the system will be activated only when collision is sensed unavoidable.
Huang, YuanZhou, QingJi, PeijunNie, Bingbing
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