Virtual Prototyping for Personal Protective Equipment and Workplaces

Abstract

Abstract : The Phase 1 effort developed a road map for development of a digital human model suitable for virtual prototyping of protective equipment and as a character in a virtual environment. The human model employs detail body contour data obtained from full body scanners onto which an anthropometrically accurate 3D digital model is created. Landmarks on the body surface are used to map internal anatomy. Mass properties of body segments and joint equations of motion are incorporated in order to describe body dynamics of the digital human. Models of protective equipment performance are extended to describe interaction of a range of military projectiles with multilayer soft fabric body armor, with and without rigid insets. Models of penetrating wounds from ballistic impact, blunt trauma from non-penetrating projectiles, and kinematic trauma will also be incorporated into the digital human model. Finally, a software architecture is developed which includes at least three design cycles. The first cycle is detailed static design which evaluates reduction of joint moment generating capability, thermal load, stability on various terrains, increase in work associated with movement, pressure points under different equipment loads, and casualty reduction potential to prescribed threats. The second cycle is a dynamic analysis, which includes the digital human accomplishing tasks with the equipment in a virtual environment. Parameters relative to equipment performance and the physical state of the virtual humans can be displayed as a function of time. Additionally, the dynamic analysis can be stopped at any point in the scenario to perform detailed static analysis of the digital human or to compare performance with previous dynamic simulations. The final cycle is non-virtual field testing.