Design and Validation of a Structural Flexibility Pedestrian Lower Legform

Abstract

Nowadays automobiles are with good performance and comfortable; however, safety gradually becomes an issue because of high incidence of traffic accidents. Except for occupants injured in traffic accidents, other vulnerable road users, like pedestrians, are also in danger. Pedestrians make up 16% of all road traffic fatalities in the EU and over 30% in Japan, their percentage can exceed 50% in developing countries. In nonfatal car-pedestrian accidents, lower extremities are the most commonly injured body parts.EEVC proposed sub-system tests to evaluate responses and injuries of pedestrians in lateral car-pedestrian accidents, in which lower legform to bumper tests are used to investigate leg injuries. Now the TRL-PLI and Flex-PLI have developed, and both have their pros and cons. In this study it is to modify existing lower legform impactor model, and the new model is still with high biofidelity, inexpensive and easy to manufacture and assemble. The new model can then be made physically and applied to relevant tests and development of pedestrian passive safety system.In order to ensure the biofidelity of new legform impactor model, it is needed to conduct certification tests. Setup and biofidelic corridor of certification tests are based on PMHS tests. This study constructs the finite element model of human-like legform impactor model and makes use of LS-DYNA to perform the same tests as PMHS to evaluate its biofidelity. Certification tests consist of component and assembly tests. Component tests include 3-point leg bending tests and 4-point knee joint bending tests, and assembly tests comprise shearing and bending tests, all above in lateral direction. After finishing all the certification tests, testing results are analyzed and compared with those of two existing legform impactors. One legform to bumper test is conducted as a case of application.