Dynamic Characteristics of the Crash Victim—Comparison of Experimental Results on Anthropomorphic Dummies with a Three-Dimensional Computer Simulation

Abstract

A mathematical model of the crash victim, either vehicle occupant or pedestrian, in a three-dimensional crash environment has been developed and validated at CAL. The result of this research is a functional engineering tool for parametric investigations of the dynamic behavior of the creash victim and for design of related experiments. The digital computer simulation includes a dynamics model with 40 degrees of freedom and a contact model that generates contact forces from vehicle surfaces and between body segments of the crash victim, and restraint forces from belts and inflatable restraints (air bags). Assumptions regarding the dynamic characteristics of the crash victim model are reviewed in detail. Experimental validation consisted of dummy response measurements in a series of accelerator sled tests simulating 20 and 30 mph barrier crashes. The experimental results include dummy kinematics, head and chest accelerations, and restraint forces. In another research effort, CAL had conducted an experimental program to assess the dynamic performance of the state-of-the-art anthropomorphic devices. Two dummies of each of two manufacturers were tested in each of five configurations on an accelerator sled simulating a 30 mph barrier crash. Three replications of each test were made to provide a measure of the reproducibility of the results. A brief summary of the results is made to indicate the variation in response between the dummies of the two manufacturers in the different configurations and the reproducibility of the results obtained.