Browse Topic: Head injuries

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Characterization and material card calibration of PU foam under various strain rates for crash Simulation2026-26-0464To be published on 01/16/2026
Polyurethane (PU) foams are extensively utilized in automotive crash structures, seats, and interior components due to their exceptional capacity for energy absorption and dissipation during impact events. Specifically, PU foams in vehicle seats play a critical role in protecting occupants during crash scenarios by absorbing energy, distributing forces, and enhancing seatbelt performance, as well as providing countermeasures for head impact protection. The movement of the seat and the direction of the force during crash testing are inherently unpredictable. The material behavior of PU foam is captured using an isotropic, hyper-elasticity-based constitutive model available in LS-DYNA through *MAT_083. This model is designed to take into account the foam's compressibility, sensitivity to strain rates, low Poisson's ratio, and hysteresis. The characterization of a PU foam with a nominal density of 65 kg/m3 was performed using quasi-static compressive testing of 0.01/s and dynamic
Gaurav, Ashish Kumar, Krishnamoorthy, Kunju, Varatharajan, Senthilkumaran
Rear-Facing Infant Seat Structural Integrity and Crashworthiness Under Front Seatback Loading in Rear-Impact Collisions2026-26-0554To be published on 01/16/2026
Rear-facing infant seats positioned behind front outboard vehicle seats are vulnerable to loading from rearward-yielding front seatbacks during rear-impact collisions in the presence of front occupants. This seatback loading can collapse and deform the infant seat’s plastic shell, increasing the risk of head injuries to the infant occupant. Shell deformation also introduces slack into the five-point harness system, exacerbating head excursions beyond the protective boundaries of the shell and increasing the likelihood of head contact with components such as the carry handle. Current rear-facing infant seat designs typically do not account for loading imposed by the front seatback during rear-impact scenarios, resulting in weak and collapsible shell structures. Furthermore, regulatory compliance tests, such as FMVSS 213, lack provisions for evaluating rear-facing infant seats under realistic rear-impact conditions. The standard test bench does not incorporate simulated vehicle interiors
Thorbole, Chandrashekhar
Enhancing Pedestrian Safety: LIDAR-Based Deployment of Front LID/Bonnet and Airbag Systems in Heavy Commercial Vehicles During Low-Speed collisions.2026-26-0006To be published on 01/16/2026
As urban populations continue to grow, the safety of Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs) particularly in the presence of Heavy Good Vehicles (HGVs) has emerged as a critical concern. Research indicates that VRUs are at a 50% higher risk of fatal injury in collisions involving HGVs compared to passenger cars [1] [2]. To address this issue, this study proposes a novel pedestrian protection system that integrates LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology with a reusable airbag system to mitigate the severity of collisions. The proposed solution adopts a twofold approach for enhancing VRU protection in scenarios involving HGVs. In both approaches, LiDAR sensors are used to generate a real-time 3D model of the vehicle’s surroundings, enabling accurate VRU detection and predictive collision analysis. • Scenario 1: When vehicle speed exceeds the first threshold and a collision is unavoidable, the onboard ECU activates front lid actuators, extending the vehicle's front lid which can be retracted
Patil, Uday, Sriharsha, Viswanath, Pillai, Rajiv
Jerk evaluation criteria for pedestrian head impact on Windshield and technological requirement to meet the criteria2026-26-0023To be published on 01/16/2026
The safety of vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists, is a paramount concern in automotive design and regulation. In India, the situation is particularly alarming, with pedestrians being the second highest victims of road accidents, as evidenced by over 32,825 reported pedestrian accidents and 4,836 cyclist fatalities in 2022, excluding two-wheeler motorcyclists. On a global scale, the prevalence of such incidents has prompted European countries to introduce new regulatory requirements, such as ECE R127.03. This regulation encompasses the evaluation of pedestrian head form impacts on windshields, assessing the typical behavior of glass through jerk criteria following initial contact, in conjunction with the existing Head Injury Criterion (HIC) evaluation for pedestrian head forms. These criteria are meticulously designed to ensure that both acceleration and jerk remain within safe limits to reduce the severe injury to head of vulnerable road users
Kumar, Ritik, A, Rajesh
GEOMETRICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CURTAIN AIRBAG COVERAGE IN INDIAN PASSENGER VEHICLES2026-26-0021To be published on 01/16/2026
Worldwide accident statistics for passenger vehicles indicate that the number of pole side impacts usually constitute a small percentage of total accident numbers. However, the rate of fatalities in narrow object side impacts is usually the highest due to direct exposure of head with the pole/narrow objects. Curtain airbags are the most effective protective systems to prevent severe/fatal head injuries in side collisions with narrow objects such as poles or trees. One of the important parameter of curtain airbags is the inflated zone of the airbag, which decides the possibility of head exposure for occupants with different anthropometries with narrow objects. To address this issue, EuroNCAP first introduced the concept of Head Protection Device Assessment (HPDA) in 2015, which in addition to the performance requirements in dynamic test, assesses the deployed curtain airbag for its area coverage and inflated zones for various anthropometries over occupant rows. With introduction of
Jaju, Divyan, Kulkarni, Dileep, Mahajan, Rahul
Occupant Kinematics and injuries during high speed side impacts: An analysis of ARAI data 2016-20242026-26-0027To be published on 01/16/2026
The objective of the present study was to examine trends in occupant kinematics and injuries during side impact tests carried out on vehicle models over the period of time . Head, shoulder, torso, spine, and pelvis kinematic responses are analyzed for driver dummy in high speed side impacts for vehicle model years, MY2016-2024. Automotive Research Association of India side impact crash data is examined. The test procedure involved a 50.0 km/h moving deformable barrier (MDB) impacting the sides of stationary vehicles. Instrumented 50th-percentile male EURO SID-2 dummy was positioned in the driver seat. Occupant kinematics data, including head accelerations, Head Injury Criterion (HIC15), Torso deflections at thorax and abdominal ribs, spine accelerations at T12, and pelvis accelerations were evaluated and compared. The “peak” and “time to- peak” responses were compared across different vehicle model years. The effect of delta-V, vehicle MY, on occupant kinematics was examined. For
Mishra, Satish, Borse, Tanmay, Kulkarni, Dileep, Mahajan, Rahul
Adaptive Restraints for Equitable protection.2026-26-0015To be published on 01/16/2026
Real-world crashes involve diverse occupants, but traditional restraint systems are designed for a limited range of body types considering the applicable regulations and protocols. While conventional restraints are effective for homogeneous occupant profiles, these systems often underperform in real-world scenarios with diverse demographics, including variations in age, gender, and body morphology. This study addresses this critical gap by evaluating adaptive restraint systems aligned with the forthcoming EURO NCAP 2026 protocols, which emphasize real-world crash diversity and occupant inclusivity. Through digital studies of frontal impact scenarios, we analyse biomechanical responses using adaptive restraints across varied occupant demographics, focusing on head and chest injury (e.g., Head Injury Criterion [HIC] and Chest Compression Criterion [CC]). This study used a Design of Experiments (DOE) approach to optimize occupant protection by timing the activation of these adaptive
satija, Anshul, Suryawanshi, Yuvraj, Chavan, Avinash, Rao, Guruprakash
Upper Body Robotic ExoskeletonTBMG-5412311/01/2025
Innovators at the NASA Johnson Space Center have developed a soft, wearable, robotic upper limb exoskeleton garment designed to actively control the shoulder and elbow, both positioning the limb in specific orientations and commanding the limb through desired motions. The invention was developed to provide effective upper extremity motor rehabilitation for patients with neurological impairments (e.g., traumatic brain injury, stroke).
Research and Analysis on Airbag Dangerous Deployment Evaluation Based on 2024 Version C-NCAP2025-99-007310/17/2025
Research on the subjective items of airbag dangerous deployment in the 2024 version of C-NCAP regulations, which includes two aspects: the action of the airbag sweeping over the face and the speed of airbag deployment. This article starts from other aspects. On the one hand, when examining the action of airbags sweeping over the face, it is necessary to consider the acceleration index. Based on the head injury index of the front dummy in collision in C-NCAP, the injury index of face - sweeping risk is defined; On the other hand, the force level of facial injury should also be examined, and the definition and experimental methods should be discussed based on the force level that the head can withstand. Added airbag deployment hazard assessment for the HIII 5 female dummy.
Tian, Wei, Xue, Kaile, Wang, Qinggui
Traumatic Head and Brain Injuries in Helmeted Motorcycle Crashes2025-22-000606/27/2025
This study presents an analysis of 364 motorcycle helmet impact tests, including standard certified full-face, open-face, and half-helmets, as well as non-certified (novelty) helmet designs. Two advanced motorcycle helmet designs that incorporate technologies intended to mitigate the risk of rotational brain injuries (rTBI) were included in this study. Results were compared to 80 unprotected tests using an instrumented 50th percentile Hybrid III head form and neck at impact speeds ranging from 6 to 18 m/s (13 to 40 mph). Results show that, on average, the Head Injury Criterion (HIC) was reduced by 92 percent across certified helmets, compared to the unhelmeted condition, indicating substantial protection against focal head and brain injuries. However, findings indicate that standard motorcycle helmets increase the risk of AIS 2 to 5 rotational brain injuries (rTBI) by an average of 30 percent compared to the unprotected condition, due to the increased rotational inertia generated by
Lloyd, John
Assessment of the Skull Fracture Prediction Capability of Finite Element Head Models2025-22-000506/16/2025
The development of drones has raised questions about their safety in case of high-speed impacts with the head. This has been recently studied with dummies, postmortem human surrogates and numerical models but questions are still open regarding the transfer of skull fracture tolerance and procedures from road safety to drone impacts. This study aimed to assess the performance of an existing head FE model (GHBMC M50-O v6.0) in terms of response and fracture prediction using a wide range of impact conditions from the literature (low and high-speed, rigid and deformable impactors, drones). The fracture prediction capability was assessed using 156 load cases, including 18 high speed tests and 19 tests for which subject specific models were built. The GHBMC model was found to overpredict peak forces, especially for rigid impactors and fracture cases. However, the model captured the head accelerations tendencies for drone impacts. The formulation of bone elements, the failure representation
Pozzi, Clément, Gardegaront, Marc, Allegre, Lucille, Beillas, Philippe
Head Accelerations and Concussion Risks in Low-to-Moderate–Speed Rear-End Collisions2025-01-504106/10/2025
Recent studies have investigated head injury metrics, including mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), or concussion risks, in low- to moderate-speed rear-end collisions, with linear and angular head accelerations contributing to the risk of developing a concussion. The present study analyzes head acceleration values in rear-end collisions at an impact severity of 5–30 km/h delta-V. Biomechanical data was obtained from HIII 50th percentile male anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) seated in the target subject vehicles and utilizing safety restraints and head rests. Concussion risks were calculated from resultant linear and angular head accelerations recorded in the ATDs, and a linear regression model was used to determine what, if any, relationship existed between these head injury metrics and impact severity. The results indicate that there is a significant and positive relationship between head acceleration metrics and impact severity, particularly in the sagittal plane, with F-values
Garcia, Beatriz, Emanet, Hatice Seyda, Hoffman, Austin
Proposed Reformulation of Brain Injury Criteria (BrIC) Using Head Rotation-Induced Brain Injury Thresholds Simulated and Derived Directly from A Subhuman Primate Finite Element Model2025-22-000305/13/2025
Recent studies have found that Brain Injury Criteria (BrIC) grossly overpredicts instances of real-world, severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, as it stands, BrIC is the leading candidate for a rotational head kinematics-based brain injury criteria for use in automotive regulation and general safety standards. This study attempts to understand why BrIC overpredicts the likelihood of brain injury by presenting a comprehensive analysis of live primate head impact experiments conducted by Stalnaker et al. (1977) and the University of Pennsylvania before applying these injurious conditions to a finite element (FE) monkey model. Data collection included a thorough analysis and digitization of the head impact dynamics and resulting pathology reports from Stalnaker et al. (1977) as well as a representative reconstruction of the Penn II baboon diffuse axonal injury (DAI) model. Computational modeling techniques were employed on a FE Rhesus monkey model, first introduced by Arora et al
Demma, Dominic R., Tao, Ying, Zhang, Liying, Prasad, Priya
A Study on Affections of Different Skull-Brain Interface Modeling Approaches on Intracranial Responses in Finite Element Analysis2025-01-873304/01/2025
The skull-brain interface is structurally complex, and various simplification methods have been employed in existing head models to simulate the interaction between the skull and the brain. The modeling approach of the skull-brain interface determines how loads are transmitted to the interior, which is critical for accurately simulating head injuries. Thus, understanding the impact of current skull-brain interface modeling approaches on intracranial simulation results is significant. This study aims to explore the influence of different skull-brain interface modeling methods on the results of finite element models during the development of Advanced Chinese Human Body Models (AC-HUMs) based on the LS-DYNA solver. By comparing the responses of rigidly bonded connections (tied Contact), failure-allowing bonded contacts (tiebreak Contact), shared nodes, and arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) methods under the Nahum 37 test load conditions, the study analyzes the effects of different
Gan, Qiuyu, jiang, Yejie, Junpeng, Xu, Zhou, Runzhou, Zhang, Liying, Jiang, Binhui
Predicting Head Injury Criterion in Real-World Frontal Impacts2025-01-870904/01/2025
Research on modeling head injury metrics and head acceleration waveforms from real-world collisions has been limited compared to vehicle crash pulses. Prior studies have used rectangular, triangular, polynomial, half-sine, and haversine pulse functions to model vehicle crash pulses and have employed more complex approximations for head injury metrics. This study aimed to develop a method to predict 15 ms Head Injury Criterion (HIC15) in frontal passenger vehicle impacts using these simple pulse functions, where only occupant peak head acceleration and head impact duration are known. Vehicle crash tests from the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) were selected for frontal impacts that included driver occupants. Head acceleration and shoulder belt load channels of Hybrid III 50th percentile male anthropomorphic test devices were collected and separated for training a set of ratios and testing their performance. Rectangular, triangular, quadratic, half-sine, and haversine pulse functions
Westrom, Clyde, Tanczos, Rachel, Adanty, Kevin, Shimada, Sean
Lattice Based Localized Energy Absorber for Improved Vulnerable Road User Performance for a Vehicle2025-01-872304/01/2025
A passenger vehicle hood is designed to meet Vulnerable Road User (VRU) regulatory requirements and consumer metric targets. Generally, hood inner design and its reinforcements, along with deformable space available under the hood are the main enablers to meet the Head Impact performance targets. However, cross functional balancing requirements, such as hood stiffness and packaging space constraints, can lead to higher Head Injury Criteria (HIC15) scores, particularly when secondary impacts are present. In such cases, a localized energy absorber is utilized to absorb the impact energy to reduce HIC within the target value. The current localized energy absorber solutions include the usage of flexible metal brackets, plastic absorbers etc. which have limited energy absorbing capacity and tuning capability. This paper focuses on usage of a novel 3D printed energy absorbers, based on various kinds of lattice structures. These absorbers are either sandwiched between the inner and the outer
Kinila, Vivekananda, Agarwal, Varun, V S, Rajamanickam, Tripathy, Biswajit, Gupta, Vishal
Biofidelity Evaluation of AC-HUMs Pedestrian Model Based on Generic Sedan Buck Model2025-01-874304/01/2025
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
Qian, Jiaqi, Wang, Qiang, Liu, Yu, Wu, Xiaofan, Huida, Zhang, Bai, Zhonghao
Optimization of Console Armrest Design for Reduction of G-Values in Head Impact Testing2024-28-021212/05/2024
Head injuries from interior impacts during vehicle accidents are a significant cause of fatalities in India. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2023 reveals that approximately 15% of the total 150,000 road fatalities were due to head impacts on vehicle interiors, resulting in about 22,500 deaths. Thus, head impact protection in a car crash is key during the design of vehicle interiors. IS 15223 and ECE-R21 provide specific guidelines for head impact testing of instrument panels and consoles in vehicles to ensure compliance with safety standards and minimize the risk of head injury during collisions. By systematically addressing each aspect of IS 15223 and ECE- R21 in the design, testing, and documentation phases, manufacturers can ensure that console armrests are optimized for safety. This approach not only helps meet regulatory standards but also enhances overall occupant protection in vehicles during collisions. The objective of this paper is to design a console
Malhotra, Deepak, Vaishnav, Suresh, Sureshkumar Presannakumari, Rajasilpi, Mangal, Gautam, Keshri, Amit
Toward a Test-Based Methodology to Evaluate Unrestrained Torso Neck Braces Using the Hybrid III ATD and MATD Neck09-12-03-001211/23/2024
The introduction of unrestrained torso neck braces as a safety intervention for helmeted motorcycle riders has introduced a set of unsolved challenges. Understanding the injury prevention afforded by these devices depends on a reliable test methodology by which to critically evaluate their efficacy against the most common mechanisms of neck injury. An inverted pendulum test is proposed to evaluate compression flexion (CF), tension flexion (TF), and tension extension (TE) of the neck using a Hybrid III anthropomorphic test device (HIII ATD) neck and a motorcycle-specific ATD (MATD) neck. In addition to investigating methods to quantify the beneficial effects of a neck brace, potential adverse effects of such a device are evaluated by measuring and evaluating relevant neck response measures. To that end, measured data using a current neck brace were analyzed and applied to various injury criteria related to the ATD neck used to compare the injury risk predicted by each parameter. The
de Jongh, Cornelis U., Basson, Anton H., Knox, Erick H., Leatt, Christopher J.
Finite Element Comparison of Human and Hybrid III Responses in the Airworthiness Certification of Normal Aircraft2024-01-701811/15/2024
With the capability of predicting detailed injury of occupants, the Human Body Model (HBM) was used to identify potential injuries for occupants in car impact events. However, there are few publications on using HBM in the aviation industry. This study aims to investigate and compare the head, neck, lumbar spine and thoracic responses of the Hybrid III and the THUMS (Total Human Model for Safety) model in the horizontal 26g and vertical 19g sled tests required by the General Aviation Aircraft Airworthiness Regulations. The HIC of THUMS and Hybrid III did not exceed the requirements of airworthiness regulations. Still, THUMS had higher intracranial pressures and intracranial stresses, which could result in brain injury to the occupants. In vertical impact, the highest stress of the neck of THUMS appears at the cervical spine C2 and the upper neck is easily injured; in horizontal impact, the cervical spine C7 has the highest load, and the lower neck is easily injured. Due to the low
Shi, Xiaopeng, Ding, Xianghe, Guo, Kai, Liu, Tianfu, Xie, Jiang
Intracranial Displacements due to Blunt Force Impact in a Postmortem Human Surrogate Brain09-12-02-001111/12/2024
Prevention and diagnosis of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are reliant on understanding the biomechanical response of the brain to external stimuli. Finite element models (FEM) and artificial head surrogates are becoming a common method of investigating the dynamic response of the brain to injurious impact and inertial stimuli. The accuracy and validity of these models is reliant on postmortem human subject (PMHS) research to produce biofidelic brain tissue responses. Previous PMHS research has been performed to measure intracranial pressures, displacements, and strains when subjected to impact and inertial loading; however, there remains a need for additional PMHS datasets to improve our understanding of the brain’s dynamics. The purpose of this study is to measure the relative brain–skull displacement in a PMHS specimen when subjected to blunt force impacts. A high-speed X-ray (HSXR) imaging system and embedded radiopaque elastomeric markers were used to record PMHS impacts at
Demiannay, Jean-Jacques, Rovt, Jennifer, Brannen, MacKenzie, Xu, Sheng, Kang, Gia, Yip, Ashley, Azadi, Amir Hossein, Dehghan, Parisa, Goodwin, Shannon, Taylor, Reggie, Poon, Katherine, Brien, Susan, Hoshizaki, Blaine, Karton, Clara, Petel , Oren
Comparison of Head Impact Biomechanics across Multiple Sports09-12-02-001811/12/2024
Athletes may sustain numerous head impacts during sport, leading to potential neurological consequences. Wearable sensors enable real-world head impact data collection, offering insight into sport-specific brain injury mechanisms. Most instrumented mouthguard studies focus on a single sport, lacking a quantitative comparison of head impact biomechanics across sports. Additionally, direct comparison of prior studies can be challenging due to variabilities in methodology and data processing. Therefore, we gathered head impact data across multiple sports and processed all data using a uniform processing pipeline to enable direct comparisons of impact biomechanics. Our aim was to compare peak kinematics, impulse durations, and head impact directionality across ice hockey, American football, rugby, and soccer. We found that American football had the highest magnitude of head impact kinematics and observed directionality differences in linear and angular kinematics between sports. On the
Masood, Zaryan Z., Luke, David S., Kenny, Rebecca A., Bondi, Daniel R., Clansey, Adam C., Wu, Lyndia C.
The Implications of Surface Friction on Snowsport Helmet Oblique Impact Kinematics09-12-02-001711/12/2024
Head injuries account for 15% of snowsport-related injuries, and the majority of head impacts occur against ice or snow, low-friction surfaces. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how surface friction affects snowsport helmets’ oblique impact kinematics. Ten helmet models were impacted using an oblique drop tower with a 45-degree anvil and NOCSAE headform, at three locations, two surface friction conditions, and a drop speed of 5.0 m/s. Our findings indicate that friction affects peak linear acceleration, peak rotational acceleration, and peak rotational velocity during helmet impacts, with changes in post-impact rotation and impact response varying by location. Surface friction affects head impact kinematics, underscoring the need for sport-specific lab testing and emphasizing the need for friction-specific and sport-specific testing, particularly for snowsports, where surface conditions like snow and ice can alter kinematics.
Stark, Nicole E.-P., Calis, Andrew, Wood, Matthew, Piwowarski, Summer Blue, Dingelstedt, Kristin, Begonia, Mark, Rowson, Steve
Quantifying and Comparing the Intersegmental Kinematics of the Pediatric Whole Cervical Spine to Individual Motion Segment Kinematics in a Six-Year-Old Postmortem Human Surrogate09-12-02-001011/12/2024
Mitigating both neck and head injuries in the pediatric population relies heavily on improving our understanding of the underlying biomechanics of the pediatric cervical spine. The tensile response for individual motion segments and the whole cervical spine (WCS) has been reported, but there is no data characterizing the intersegmental kinematics of pediatric WCS under axial loading conditions. The structural response of motion segments and WCS provide valuable data for the design and validation of biofidelic physical and computational models for the pediatric population. However, the use of motion segment data to construct WCS response or the use of WCS axial response to accurately characterize intersegmental response may present limitations to accurately modeling the pediatric cervical spine response. In this secondary analysis of the work of Luck et al. (2008, 2013), the fixed-fixed, low load, quasi-static tensile response of the WCS and individual motion segments (O-C2, C4-C5, and
Liu, Miranda, Luck, Jason F.
Seeing Is CommunicatingTBMG-5145709/04/2024
Communicating when traumatic brain injury, stroke, or disease has made speech impossible can be daunting. But specialized eye-tracking technology uses eye movement to enable people living with disabilities to connect one-on-one, over the phone, or via the internet.
A Methodology to Evaluate Unrestrained Torso Neck Braces for Near Vertex Impacts09-12-03-001008/22/2024
The advent of neck braces for the helmeted motorcycle rider has introduced a pertinent research question: To what extent do they reduce measures related to the major mechanism of neck injury in unrestrained torso accidents, i.e., compression flexion (CF)? This question requires a suitable method of testing and evaluating the measures for a load case resulting in the required mechanism. This study proposes a weighted swinging anvil striking the helmeted head of a supine HIII ATD by means of a near vertex impact with a low degree of anterior head impact eccentricity to induce CF of the neck. The applied impact was chosen for the baseline (no neck brace) so that the upper and lower neck axial forces approached injury assessment reference values (IARV). The head impact point evaluated represents those typically associated with high-energy burst fractures occurring within the first 20 ms, with possible secondary disruption of posterior ligaments. The proposed test can be used to evaluate
de Jongh, Cornelis U., Basson, Anton H., Knox, Erick H., Leatt, Christopher J.
Evaluation of DAMAGE Algorithm in Frontal Crashes2023-22-000604/17/2024
With the current trend of including the evaluation of the risk of brain injuries in vehicle crashes due to rotational kinematics of the head, two injury criteria have been introduced since 2013 – BrIC and DAMAGE. BrIC was developed by NHTSA in 2013 and was suggested for inclusion in the US NCAP for frontal and side crashes. DAMAGE has been developed by UVa under the sponsorship of JAMA and JARI and has been accepted tentatively by the EuroNCAP. Although BrIC in US crash testing is known and reported, DAMAGE in tests of the US fleet is relatively unknown. The current paper will report on DAMAGE in NCAP-like tests and potential future frontal crash tests involving substantial rotation about the three axes of occupant heads. Distribution of DAMAGE of three-point belted occupants without airbags will also be discussed. Prediction of brain injury risks from the tests have been compared to the risks in the real world. Although DAMAGE correlates well with MPS in the human brain model across
Prasad, Priya, Barbat, Saeed D., Kalra, Anil, Dalmotas, Dainius J.
Investigation of Diffuse Axonal Injury in Rats Induced by the Combined Linear and Rotational Accelerations Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging2024-01-251304/09/2024
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI) is the most common type of traumatic brain injury, and it is associated with the linear and rotational accelerations resulting from head impacts, which often occurs in traffic related and sports accidents. To investigate the degree of influence of linear and rotational acceleration on DAI, a two-factor, two-level rat head impact experimental protocol involving linear and rotational acceleration was established using the L4(23) orthogonal table in this paper. Following the protocol, rats head was injured and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was performed at 24h post-injury to obtain the whole brain DAI injury, and the fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the corpus callosum was selected as the evaluation indicator. Using analysis of variance, the sum of squared deviations for the evaluation indicators was calculated to determine the degree of influence of linear acceleration and rotational acceleration on DAI. The results show that, 1. For the corpus callosum
Wang, Peng, Song, Xuewei, Chen, Diyou, Zhu, Xiyan, Qiu, Jinlong, Wang, Nan, Yu, Tianming, Zhao, Hui
Advanced Material Characterization of Hood Insulator Foams for Pedestrian Head Impact2024-01-268204/09/2024
Hood insulators are widely used in automotive industry to improve noise insulation, pedestrian impact protection and to provide aesthetic appeal. They are attached below the hood panel and are often complex in shape and size. Pedestrian head impacts are highly dynamic events with a compressive strain rate experienced by the insulator exceeding 300/s. The energy generated by the impact is partly absorbed by the hood insulators thus reducing the head injury to the pedestrian. During this process, the insulator experiences multi-axial stress states. The insulators are usually made of soft multi-layered materials, such as polyurethane or fiberglass, and have a thin scrim layer on either side. These materials are foamed to their nominal thickness and are compression molded to take the required shape of the hood. During this process they undergo thickness reduction, thereby increasing their density. Hence, the material properties vary greatly based on the thickness and strain rate
M, Gokula Krishnan, Savic, Vesna, V S, Rajamanickam, Kavi, Swaroop
Investigation of the Prediction Model and Assessment Parameters of Head Injury of Children Occupants Based on Machine Learning2024-01-251404/09/2024
The head injury mechanisms of occupants in traffic accidents will be more complicated due to the diversified seating postures in autonomous driving environments. The injury risks and assessment parameters in complex collision conditions need to be investigated thoroughly. Mining the simulation data by the support vector machine (SVM) and the random forest algorithms, some head injury predictive models for a 6-year-old child occupant under a frontal 100% overlap rigid barrier crash scenario were developed. In these head injury predictive models, the impact speed and sitting posture of the occupant were considered as the input variables. All of these head injury predictive models were validated to have good regression and reliability (R2>0.93) by the ten-fold cross-validation. When the collision speed is less than 60km/h, rotational load is the primary factor leading to head injury, and the trends of BrIC, von Mise stress, Maxshear stress, and MPS are similar. However, when the speed
Li, Haiyan, Wang, Yanxin, He, Lijuan, Lv, Wenle, Cui, Shihai, Ruan, Jesse Shijie
Can pedestrian headform test results reflect the distribution of head injuries in the real world?2024-01-251504/09/2024
Wrap around distance (WAD) is an important index to evaluate the contact position between pedestrian head and vehicle, and is also one of the key parameters of pedestrian accident reconstruction. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the pedestrian headform testcan reflect the distribution of head injury in the real world. Firstly, in order to study the distribution of pedestrian head WAD in road accidents in China, a head WAD prediction model was established using logistic regression based on pedestrian height and vehicle collision speed. Secondly, in order to study the distribution of the risk of severe head injuries among pedestrians in accidents, the frequency of pedestrian head impact and the proportion of pedestrian head injury were counted respectively for sedans and SUVs. Subsequently, a risk curve for severe head injuries was constructed based on the head impact frequency and the proportion of severe injuries, utilizing a method that incorporates joint probability
Ye, Bin, Liu, Yu, Long, Yongcheng, Shi, Liangliang, Xinming, Wan
Assessing the Impact of Rubberized Asphalt on Reducing Hip Fracture Risk in Elderly Populations Using Human Body Models09-12-01-000704/08/2024
Compared to other age groups, older adults are at more significant risk of hip fracture when they fall. In addition to the higher risk of falls for the elderly, fear of falls can reduce this population’s outdoor activity. Various preventive solutions have been proposed to reduce the risk of hip fractures ranging from wearable hip protectors to indoor flooring systems. A previously developed rubberized asphalt mixture demonstrated the potential to reduce the risk of head injury. In the current study, the capability of the rubberized asphalt sample was evaluated for the risk of hip fracture for an average elderly male and an average elderly female. A previously developed human body model was positioned in a fall configuration that would give the highest impact forces toward regular asphalt. Three different rubber contents with 14, 28, 33 weight percent (% wt.) were implemented as the ground alongside one regular non-rubberized (0%) asphalt mixture, one baseline, and one extra-compliant
Sahandifar, Pooya, Wallqvist, Viveca, Kleiven, Svein
RAMP Bracket Angle Optimization Coupled with Improved Head Room2024-26-001601/16/2024
Restraint systems in automotives are inevitable for the safety of passengers. Curtain airbag is one such restraint system in automotives that reduces the risk of injury to passengers during crash, without which head injury is inevitable during side crash of a vehicle. So successful deployment of curtain airbag (henceforth called as CAB) is very important in automotive safety during crash. This paper dwells about the optimization done in ramp bracket angle with successful deployment of curtain airbag. This optimization has paved the way for increasing the head-roominess by ~15% and to respect the safety and styling intent in the vehicle successfully. Providing a ramp bracket at the lower bottom side of CAB guides the airbag successfully during deployment. Ramp bracket angle plays a vital role in guiding the airbag inside the passenger’s cabin without any obstruction. This paper challenges the conventional ramp bracket angle followed for CAB deployment with an alternate angle and has
D, Gowtham, L, Dharshan, Bornare, Harshad, Ritesh, Kakade, Deoli, Manish, Bhaskararao, Pathivada, Gangapuram, Suresh, Kakani, Phani Kumar
Safer Buses for Passengers and Pedestrians: Crashes and Injury Analyses from Indian and German In-Depth Data2024-26-000401/16/2024
Bus transport is an important element in a sustainable transport strategy. The objective of this study is to understand crashes and injuries involving buses, suggest potential passive-safety interventions, estimate their effectiveness, and compare their effectiveness between Germany and India. Descriptive analysis of crash data from the German In-depth Accident Study (GIDAS) and the Road Accident Sampling System India (RASSI) database was performed in two parts: First, bus passengers and their injuries were analyzed and second, pedestrian injuries in bus-to-pedestrian crashes were analyzed. Lastly, interventions were suggested, and their effectiveness was estimated. Analysis of bus passengers showed that most moderate-to-critical injuries in the GIDAS data were to the head caused by interior bus components. In the RASSI data, head injuries were also frequent, often due to bus interior contact, but also due to ejection and impact to the ground or bus exterior. As many as 31% of all
Ranmal, Aarti, Jeppsson, Hanna, Strandroth, Johan, Lubbe, Nils
Effectiveness of the Load Legs in Enhancing the Passive Safety of Rear-Facing Child Seats in Frontal Crash2024-26-034301/16/2024
The passive safety performance of a child seat is modulated by the design features of the child seat and the vehicle interior. For example, in the rear-facing configuration, the child seat impacting front structures increases the head injury risk during a frontal crash. Therefore, this study evaluates the effectiveness of the load leg countermeasure in improving the child seat's overall kinematics and its capability to prevent the secondary impact on the vehicle interior structure in a severe frontal crash scenario. An in-depth, real-world crash investigation involving a properly installed rear-facing child seat impacting the center console was selected for the study where the infant sustained a severe brain injury. In addition, this crash is employed to choose the crash parameters for evaluating the effectiveness of the load leg countermeasure in a similar scenario. Finally, crash sled tests are conducted using the crash signature of the vehicle as obtained from the NHTSA NCAP rigid
Thorbole, Chandrashekhar
Study of Vehicle-Based Metrics for Assessing the Severity of Side Impacts09-12-01-000410/30/2023
A research program has been launched in Iran to develop an evaluation method for comparing the safety performance of vehicles in real-world collisions with crash test results. The goal of this research program is to flag vehicle models whose safety performance in real-world accidents does not match their crash test results. As part of this research program, a metric is needed to evaluate the severity of side impacts in crash tests and real-world accidents. In this work, several vehicle-based metrics were analyzed and calculated for a dataset of more than 500 side impact tests from the NHTSA crash test database. The correlation between the metric values and the dummy injury criteria was studied to find the most appropriate metric with the strongest correlation coefficient values with the dummy injury criteria. Delta-V and a newly created metric T K 200 Y , which is an indicator of the kinetic energy transferred to occupants in a 200 ms time interval and in the lateral direction, were
Sadeghipour, Emad
Restraint System Optimizations Using Diverse Human Body Models in Frontal Crashes09-11-02-001809/20/2023
Objective: This study aimed to optimize restraint systems and improve safety equity by using parametric human body models (HBMs) and vehicle models accounting for variations in occupant size and shape as well as vehicle type. Methodology: A diverse set of finite element (FE) HBMs were developed by morphing the GHBMC midsize male simplified model into statistically predicted skeleton and body shape geometries with varied age, stature, and body mass index (BMI). A parametric vehicle model was equipped with driver, front passenger, knee, and curtain airbags along with seat belts with pretensioner(s) and load limiter and has been validated against US-NCAP results from four vehicles (Corolla, Accord, RAV4, F150). Ten student groups were formed for this study, and each group picked a vehicle model, occupant side (driver vs. passenger), and an occupant model among the 60 HBMs. About 200 frontal crash simulations were performed with 10 combinations of vehicles (n = 4) and occupants (m = 8
Yang, Zhenhao, Desai, Amoghsidd, Boyle, Kyle, Rupp, Jonathan, Reed, Matthew, Hu, Jingwen
Letter from the Special Issue Editors09-11-02-000909/20/2023
Letter from the Special Issue Editors
Mueller, Becky, Bautsch, Brian, Mansfield, Julie
Developing an Ovine Model of Impact Traumatic Brain Injury09-11-02-001609/20/2023
Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of global death and disability. Clinically relevant large animal models are a vital tool for understanding the biomechanics of injury, providing validation data for computation models, and advancing clinical translation of laboratory findings. It is well-established that large angular accelerations of the head can cause TBI, but the effect of head impact on the extent and severity of brain pathology remains unclear. Clinically, most TBIs occur with direct head impact, as opposed to inertial injuries where the head is accelerated without direct impact. There are currently no active large animal models of impact TBI. Sheep may provide a valuable model for studying TBI biomechanics, with relatively large brains that are similar in structure to that of humans. The aim of this project is to develop an ovine model of impact TBI to study the relationships between impact mechanics and brain pathology. An elastic energy impact injury device has been
Magarey, Charlie C, Quarrington, Ryan D, Jones, Claire F
Summary of Poster Abstracts09-11-02-002209/20/2023
Eighteen research posters were prepared and presented by student authors at the 18th Annual Injury Biomechanics Symposium. The posters covered a wide breadth of works-in-progress and recently completed projects. Topics included a variety of body regions and injury scenarios such as: Head: Defining the mass, center of mass, and anatomical coordinate system of the pig head and brain; the influence of friction on oblique helmet testing; validation of an in-ear sensor for measuring head impact exposure in American football Neck and spine: Design of paramedic mannequin neck informed by adult passive neck stiffness and range of motion data; identifying injury from flexion-compression loading of porcine lumbar intervertebral disc Thorax: Tensile material properties of costal cartilage perichondrium; finite element models of both an ovine thorax and adipose tissue for high-rate non-penetrating blunt impact Pelvis: Injurious pelvis deformation in high-speed rear-facing frontal impacts Lower
Mueller, Becky, Bautsch, Brian, Mansfield, Julie
Comparison of Head, Neck, and Chest Injury Risks between Front- and Rear-Seated Hybrid III 50th-Percentile Male ATDs in Matched Frontal NCAP Tests09-12-01-000109/19/2023
The objective of this study was to compare head, neck, and chest injury risks between front and rear-seated Hybrid III 50th-percentile male anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) during matched frontal impacts. Seven vehicles were converted to rear seat test bucks (two sedans, three mid-size SUVs, one subcompact SUV, and one minivan) and then used to perform sled testing with vehicle-specific frontal NCAP acceleration pulses and a rear seated (i.e., second row) Hybrid III 50th male ATD. Matched front seat Hybrid III 50th male ATD data were obtained from the NHTSA Vehicle Crash Test Database for each vehicle. HIC15, Nij, maximum chest acceleration, and maximum chest deflection were compared between the front and rear seat tests, as well as between vehicles with conventional and advanced three-point belt restraint systems in the rear seat. Additionally, a modified version of the NCAP frontal star rating was calculated for the front and rear seat tests. All injury metrics, except for chest
Bianco, Samuel T., Albert, Devon L., Guettler, Allison J., Hardy, Warren N., Kemper, Andrew R.
Experimental Assessment of Human and Crash Dummy Skin to Vehicle Air Bag Fabric Coefficients of Friction09-11-03-001409/18/2023
Oblique motor vehicle crashes can cause serious head or brain injuries due to contact with interior vehicle structures even with the deployment of air bags, as they are not yet completely successful in preventing traumatic brain injury. Rotational head velocity is strongly correlated to the risk of brain injury, and this head motion is potentially related to the tangential friction force developed during contact between the head and air bags. Although crash test dummy head skins are designed with appropriate mass properties and anthropometry to simulate the normal direction impact response of the human head, it is not known whether they accurately represent the frictional properties of human skin during air bag interaction. This study experimentally characterized the dynamic friction coefficient between human/dummy skins and air bag fabrics using a pin-on-disc tribometer. Human skin samples were harvested from five locations (left and right forehead, left and right cheek, and chin
Noll, Scott, Dong, Sheng, Kang, Yun-Seok, Bolte, John, Stammen, Jason, Moorhouse, Kevin
Repeatability and Reproducibility of a Standard Test Method for Measuring Head-Supported Mass Properties23AERP08_1108/01/2023
During development of military helmets and HMDs, materiel developers need a valid and repeatable test methodology for measuring their mass properties. DEVCOM SC and USAARL reviewed existing mass properties measurement procedures and identified critical items to incorporate into a unified Army methodology. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, Natick, MA U.S. military service members are provided protective head gear for use in training and operational environments. This headgear is typically in the form of a helmet, at a minimum consisting of a rigid outer shell and an individual fitting and retention system, which is an essential personal protective equipment (PPE) item. Many different helmet configurations are used by the U.S. soldier, depending on their military occupational series, the anticipated threat, and the operational environment. Helmet designs have evolved to provide protection beyond fragmentation, to include head protection from blunt head impact
Effect of Tissue Erosion Modeling Techniques on Pedestrian Impact Kinematics2022-22-000706/27/2023
The pedestrian is one of the most vulnerable road users and has experienced increased numbers of injuries and deaths caused by car-to-pedestrian collisions over the last decade. To curb this trend, finite element models of pedestrians have been developed to investigate pedestrian protection in vehicle impact simulations. While useful, modeling practices vary across research groups, especially when applying knee/ankle ligament and bone failure. To help better standardize modeling practices this study explored the effect of knee ligament and bone element elimination on pedestrian impact outcomes. A male 50th percentile model was impacted by three European generic vehicles at 30, 40, and 50 km/h. The pedestrian model was set to three element elimination settings: the “Off-model” didn’t allow any element erosion, the “Lig-model” allowed lower-extremity ligament erosion, and the “All-model” allowed lower-extremity ligament and bone erosion. Failure toggling had a significant effect on
Grindle, Daniel, Untaroiu, Costin
Understanding Head Injury Risks during Car-to-Pedestrian Collisions Using Realistic Vehicle and Detailed Human Body Models2022-22-000606/27/2023
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of death and long-term disability in road traffic accidents (RTAs). Researchers have examined the effect of vehicle front shape and pedestrian body size on the risk of pedestrian head injury. On the other hand, the relationship between vehicle front shape parameters and pedestrian TBI risks involving a diverse population with varying body sizes has yet to be investigated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to comprehensively study the effect of vehicle front shape parameters and various pedestrian bodies ranging from 95th percentile male (AM95) to 6 years old (YO) child on the dynamic response of the head and the risk of TBIs during primary (vehicle) impact. At three different collision speeds (30, 40, and 50 km/h), a total of 36 car-to-pedestrian collisions (CPCs) were reconstructed using three different vehicle types (Subcompact passenger sedan, mid-sedan, and sports utility vehicle (SUV)) and four distinct THUMS pedestrian finite
Gunasekaran, Kalish, Islam, Sakib Ul, Mao, Haojie
TOC2022-22-000906/27/2023
TOC
Tobolski, Sue
Crashworthiness Performance of Rear Underrun Protection Device under Simulated Car Collision15-16-03-001406/06/2023
A rear underrun protection device (RUPD) plays a fundamental role in reducing the risk of running a small car beneath the rear or the side of a heavy truck because of the difference in structure heights in the event of a vehicle collision. Even in cars with five-star safety ratings, crashing into a truck with poorly designed RUPD results in a passenger compartment intrusion (PCI) more than the maximum allowable limit as per the United States (US) American National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS). In this article, mild steel was used to fabricate the new designs of RUPD. The design was analyzed using finite element (FE) analysis LS-DYNA software. Simulations of a Toyota Yaris 2010 and Ford Taurus 2001 were performed at a constant speed of 63 km/h at the time of impact. The ability to prevent severe injuries in a collision with the rear side of the truck was estimated to optimize the underrun design. The new design has
Albahash, Zeid Fadel, Sharba, Mohaiman, Hasan, Bahaa Aldin Abass
Comparison of Child Restraint System (CRS) Installation Methods and Misuse During Far-Side Impact Sled Testing2023-01-081704/11/2023
Child occupants have not been studied in far-side impacts as thoroughly as frontal or near side crash modes. The objective is to determine whether the installation method of child restraint systems (CRS) affects far-side crash performance. Twenty far-side impact sled tests were conducted with rear-facing (RF) CRS, forward-facing (FF) CRS, high-back boosters, and belt only. Each was installed on second row captain’s chairs from a recent model year minivan. Common CRS installation errors were tested, including using the seat belt in Emergency Locking Mode (ELR) instead of Automatic Locking Mode (ALR), not attaching the top tether, and using both the lower anchors (LA) and seat belt together. Correct installations were also tested as a baseline comparison. Q3s and Hybrid III 6-year-old (6yo) anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) were used. Lateral displacements of the CRS and head were examined as well as injury metrics in the head, spine, and torso. For RF CRS, the ELR belt installation
Mansfield, Julie
Study on Influencing Factors of Hippocampal Injury in Closed Head Impact Experiments of Rats Using Orthogonal Experimental Design Method2023-01-000104/11/2023
The hippocampus plays a crucial role in brain function and is one of the important areas of concern in closed head injury. Hippocampal injury is related to a variety of factors including the strength of mechanical load, animal age, and helmet material. To investigate the order of these factors on hippocampal injury, a three-factor, three-level experimental protocol was established using the L9(34) orthogonal table. A closed head injury experiment regarding impact strength (0.3MPa, 0.5MPa, 0.7MPa), rat age (eight- week-old, ten-week-old, twelve-week-old), and helmet material (steel, plastic, rubber) were achieved by striking the rat's head with a pneumatic-driven impactor. The number of hippocampal CA3 cells was used as an evaluation indicator. The contribution of factors to the indicators and the confidence level were obtained by analysis of variance. The results showed that impact strength was the main factor affecting hippocampal injury (contribution of 89.2%, confidence level 0.01
Wang, Peng, Song, Xuewei, Zhu, Xiyan, Qiu, Jinlong, Yang, Shuaijun, Zhao, Hui
Optimization of Side Impact Airbag Design Using Response Surface Method2023-01-081804/11/2023
Seat mounted side impact airbags (SIAB) along with side curtain airbags are now a standard passive safety equipment offered by nearly all original equipment manufacturers (OEM) to meet side protection requirements in many regions of the world. While the side curtain airbag is intended to reduce head injury, the SIAB protects the thorax and abdomen region of the driver or passenger in a side crash scenario. An optimized SIAB both in terms of design and deployment threshold has the potential to reduce occupant’s injury level and can prevent fatalities. Because of the limited space available between the occupant and the side structure of the vehicle, there are significant challenges posed for packaging a SIAB to provide adequate cushioning distance from the intruding parts of the vehicle side structure and spread the impact load over a larger area. Different regulatory requirements in different geographies add further challenges for a common design. Common design is not only cost
Shrivastava, Abhinav, Behera, Dhiren, Reddy, Niranjan, Aluru, Phani
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