Anthropomorphic Dummy Research Articles

Real-Time AI-Driven Fall Detection Method for Occupational Health and Safety

Fall accidents in industrial and construction environments require an immediate reaction, to provide first aid. Shortening the time between the fall and the relevant personnel being notified can significantly improve the safety and health of workers. Therefore, in this work, an IoT system for real-time fall detection is proposed, using the ASSIST-IoT reference architecture. Empowered with a machine learning model, the system can detect fall accidents and swiftly notify the occupational health and safety manager. To train the model, a novel multimodal fall detection dataset was collected from ten human participants and an anthropomorphic dummy, covering multiple types of fall, including falls from a height. The dataset includes absolute location and acceleration measurements from several IoT devices. Furthermore, a lightweight long short-term memory model is proposed for fall detection, capable of operating in an IoT environment with limited network bandwidth and hardware resources. The accuracy and F1-score of the model on the collected dataset were shown to exceed 0.95 and 0.9, respectively. The collected multimodal dataset was published under an open license, to facilitate future research on fall detection methods in occupational health and safety.

On the Safety of Implanted Breast Prostheses in Accidental Impacts

The employment of breast silicone implants, both in aesthetic and reconstructive medicine, is widespread thanks to their recognized biocompatibility and durability. Some critical situations, for example, in the case of accidental impacts, may induce concerns by potential patients about their use. Dynamic tests reproducing frontal impacts at speeds up to 90 km/h, with anthropomorphic dummies carrying 330 cc prostheses and wearing safety belts, were conducted. Tests showed a significant probability of internal gel loss following implant damage at the highest speed. Moreover, considering that prostheses may remain implanted for many years, the effects of accelerated aging at 37 °C, 60 °C, 75 °C and 90 °C in physiological solution were also investigated. Tensile tests of the shell material and compressive tests of the full prosthesis showed evidence of variation in the prostheses’ mechanical characteristics after aging, which affects their stiffness, deformability and strength. These results stress the importance of medical investigations for possible damages of the implanted prostheses in the case of an accident.

Effects of Safety Harnesses Protecting against Falls from a Height on the User's Body in Suspension.

The present work concerns the impact of safety harnesses on the human body in the context of suspension trauma. Phenomena at the man/harness interface were studied on a group of men professionally working at a height and using personal protective equipment (PPE). In the study, subjects wearing a safety harness were suspended for 3 min in controlled conditions. Three types of safety harnesses of different design were used. The harnesses were evaluated on the basis of the subjects' opinions expressed in a questionnaire administered following trials. The most important phenomena observed were the compression exerted by textile straps, inconvenient body position, as well as straps tightening around the neck and torso. The results of trials involving human subjects were convergent and complementary with tests using an anthropomorphic dummy, enabling an evaluation of the basic designs of safety harnesses.

Физико-математическое моделирование процесса взаимодействия подушки безопасности легкового автомобиля с антропоморфным манекеном

The paper considers a finite-element numerical simulation of interaction between an airbag and an anthropomorphic dummy model, presenting a case study of a passenger car subjected to oblique frontal impact, as per UN passive safety Regulation no. 94. A system of conservation equations for mass, impulse and energy forms the basis of the simulation. We used a penalty method as a contact algorithm. We investigated three situations: 1) one including the seat belt and the airbag; 2) one including the belt but not the airbag; 3) one including the airbag without the belt. The airbag simulation took into account the specifics of its deployment process and its position within the steering wheel. The seat belt simulation included simplified models of the retracting and locking devices. The computation results showed that our finite-element numerical simulation of interaction between the airbag and the anthropomorphic dummy model makes assessing the test device injury rate possible; absence of either the seat belt or the airbag may result in death due to oblique frontal impacts; if the design only includes an airbag, collisions between the anthropomorphic dummy model and the interior car parts will not be prevented; a design providing both an airbag and a seat belt meets the basic requirements of UN passive safety Regulation no. 94

Effect of safety harness design on the pressures exerted on the user’s body in the state of its suspension

The presented studies concern the pressure of safety harnesses on the user’s body in a state of its suspension. An anthropomorphic dummy was used for simulation of human behaviour in suspension. The test objects included four models of harnesses of different designs, equipped with attachment elements placed at the back and front of the human body. Pressure mapping sensors of 56 × 56 mm2 surface area and two-dimensional (2D) pressure mapping apparatus were used for the measurements. The parameters characterizing the pressures of the harness belts on the dummy surface were defined. The obtained results demonstrated in which position the pressures exerted on the dummy are the greatest and that they depend mainly on the design of the safety harnesses and their attachment point. The most sensitive points of action of the harness on the user’s body have been identified. Guidelines for the construction of the safety harnesses have been formulated.

Comparative analysis of driver’s motion using different headrest positions during the rear-end collision

The biggest problem regarding the safety of occupants during the rear-end collision is the occurrence of “Whiplash” phenomenon, which means that the human head moves backwards in relation to the thorax movement which is in the sitting position. In this case, only the headrest opposes the head movement. An important role in the attenuation of this phenomenon is played by the correct position of the headrest relative to the head position. If the headrest is adjusted correctly, to limit the angle and movement of the head and neck during a rear-end collision, it should reduce the injury risk caused by “Whiplash”, a phenomenon that can cause easy to dangerous injuries. This paper presents a comparative analysis during the rear-end collision between a driver with the headrest adjusted in optimal and wrong position. The analysis is based on the front quarter driver side of body car, using an anthropomorphic dummy. The quarter of car was positioned on a sledge that was located on the test stand. The data acquired during the tests were processed in order to evaluate the most common injury criteria, called HIC (Head Injury Criteria).

Validation of Numerical Models of a Rotorcraft Crashworthy Seat and Subfloor

The present work explores some critical aspects of the numerical modeling of a rotorcraft seat and subfloor equipped with energy-absorbing stages, which are paramount in crash landing conditions. To limit the vast complexity of the problem, a purely vertical impact is considered as a reference scenario for an assembly made of a crashworthy helicopter seat and a subfloor section, including an anthropomorphic dummy. A preliminary lumped mass model is used to drive the design of the experimental drop test. Some additional static and dynamic tests are carried out at the coupon and sub-component levels to characterize the seat cushion, the seat pan and the honeycomb elements that were introduced in the structure as energy absorbers. The subfloor section is designed and manufactured with a simplified technique, yet representative of this structural component. Eventually, a finite element model representing the full drop test was created and, together with the original lumped mass model, finally validated against the experimental test, outlining the advantage of using both the numerical techniques for design assistance.

Effects of full body harness design on fall arrest performance

The use of personal protective equipment, including a safety harness, is one of the basic methods of protection against falls from a height. The presented studies, using an anthropomorphic dummy, identified the effect on the human body of the dangerous phenomena accompanying safety harness performance during fall arrest. The displacement of the dummy in the safety harness, the mutual displacement of the adjustment buckles and the webbing of the harness, the tightening of the straps on the dummy and the impacts exerted on the head of the dummy by the harness elements were considered. The correlation between the design of the safety harness and the parameters and phenomena in question has been demonstrated. It has been shown that for the purposes of assessment of novel harness designs it is necessary to carry out studies utilizing an anthropomorphic dummy in addition to resistance tests.

Booster cushion design effects on child occupant kinematics and loading assessed using the PIPER 6-year-old HBM and the Q10 ATD in frontal impacts

Objective Our objective was to study the effect on child occupant kinematics and loading by differences in booster cushion designs and attachment in a frontal impact. Methods Three different booster cushion designs were exposed to a frontal impact in vehicle rear seat interiors. The boosters were selected based on their difference in shape, stiffness, and guiding loop design. Tests were run varying the shoulder belt routing above or under the guiding loop, in addition to with or without attachment of the booster cushion to the vehicle ISOFIX anchorages. Eighteen simulations with the finite element PIPER 6-year-old human body model (HBM) were run investigating all combinations of parameters, in addition to 3 sled tests with a Q10 anthropomorphic test dummy (ATD). Results Across 2 different child sizes, using an HBM and an ATD, respectively, consistent sensitivity to the booster design differences were seen. Boosters providing similar initial static belt fit can result in different occupant responses during a crash, due to the design of the boosters and their dynamic performance. Compression of the booster cushion resulted in a delayed pelvis restraint, influencing the upper body kinematics. The guiding loop design as well as the belt routing above or under the guide also influenced the upper body kinematics and shoulder belt interaction. Conclusions Early pelvis coupling to initiate torso pitch, and thereby an upper torso motion controlled by the shoulder belt, is the preferred occupant protection for booster-seated children. A stable mid-shoulder belt position centered over the chest initially is a prerequisite. Additionally, it was seen that the design of the guiding loops helps provide favorable interaction with the torso during the crash. The option to allow the shoulder belt to be placed above and under the guiding loops will accommodate a larger span of child sizes and adapt to more vehicle seat belt geometries. This study provides evidence that the design of the booster cushion plays an important role in creating an early pelvis coupling, as well as supporting favorable torso–shoulder belt interaction.

New test method with a Hybrid III Anthropomorphic Dummy for Textile Safety Harnesses

A full body harness is a basic component of personal fall arrest equipment. It is made from webbing connected by seams and metal fittings to firmly hold and support the user’s body. The paper proposes a new method for full body harness testing using a Hybrid III anthropomorphic dummy; also the design of the experimental stand and software used are described. The method analyses the behaviour of a dummy during a fall arrest under well-defined conditions. The critical mechanical factors measured during the study presented were: the head acceleration, forces acting on the spine, the position of the dummy, the impacts of harness elements to the head, etc. The tests identified some potentially dangerous phenomena associated with falls from a height. The harness testing method developed turned out to be a valuable tool that should be applied in conjunction with existing strength testing methods.

Vertical Drop Test of Composite Fuselage Section of a Regional Aircraft

In this paper, a vertical drop test of a full composite fuselage section of a regional aircraft has been presented. This test was performed to investigate the structural response of a prototype of a composite fuselage section as well as the biomechanical response of the anthropomorphic dummies under a vertical crash loading condition. The research activity, carried out within the framework of Metodi di CERtificazione e Verifica Innovativi ed Avanzati (CERVIA)‡‡ project, allowed collecting suitable amount of data for the assessment of the reliability of numerical models. The test article consists of a composite fuselage section with a diameter of 3445 mm and a total length of 4750 mm. It includes all main structural components, the passengers, and the cargo floor structure. Fuselage section has been also equipped with an aeronautical three-seat row. The accelerations, recorded in different locations, demonstrate that the structure is able to absorb a considerable impact energy amount, thus to mitigate the acceleration levels induced to the passengers.

SESAME: A TOOL FOR NUMERICAL DOSIMETRIC RECONSTRUCTION OF PATIENTS OVEREXPOSURES IN INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY.

Radiation overexposure accidents are rare but can have severe health consequences. Evaluating the dose received by the patient is a crucial step in the medical management. For that purpose, for more than 15 years, IRSN has been developing an in-house tool named SESAME for the numerical reconstruction of radiological accidents due to external sources. Recently, two new functionalities were implemented in SESAME to allow accurate reconstructions of interventional radiology (IR) overexposures. The experimental validation of SESAME for the reconstruction of overexposures in IR is presented. First, an anthropomorphic dummy equipped with dosemeters was irradiated following conditions similar to a fluoroscopically guided interventional procedure. Then the procedure was simulated using SESAME. Finally measured doses were compared to calculated doses. Even with a limited amount of data available, SESAME can provide valuable dose information for the medical team in charge of the patient, such as skin dose mapping and dose distribution in depth.

Novel Tactical Ballistic Shield Technology: A Blast Injury Mitigation Evaluation

This study investigates the performance of a shield appliqué technology designed to protect the user from blast injury. This technology was compared against three other ballistic shields of varying mass using a fixed charge configuration. An instrumented anthropomorphic test dummy (ATD) was used along with pressure sensors to determine injury risk. Results showed that lighter shields offered less protection than their heavier counterparts with higher probability of head, chest, arm and leg injuries. Additionally, when comparing the appliqué to a mass-matched shield, relevant loadings were reduced on average by 21 %. Overall, the ballistic shield appliqué technology shows promise for becoming a tool for blast mitigation in the short to medium term.

Evaluating the response of the PIPER scalable human body model across child restraining seats in simulated frontal crashes

Objective: Booster seats ensure appropriate belt fit for children that a traditional vehicle seat belt cannot offer to small occupants. In this study, the responses of the PIPER 6-year-old human body model are compared to the traditional Q6 anthropomorphic test dummy (ATD).Methods: Eight frontal impact finite element simulations were run using 4 different child restraining systems on the FMVSS 213 test bench. Kinematics and kinetics were extracted and compared between the 2 child models.Results: The PIPER 6-year-old showed variation by 11.2 ± 14.1% (head resultant acceleration, G), 20.4 ± 50.3% (chest resultant acceleration, G), 272.9 ± 188.4% (chest displacement, mm), 24.8 ± 17.5% (maximum head excursion, mm), −31.5 ± 5.1% (neck force, Fz, N), −73.8 ± 2.8% (neck moment, My, N.m), and −60.4 ± 7.2% (Nij) compared to the Q6. However, the kinematics of both models were nearly similar.Conclusions: The PIPER model has a flexible neck and shows higher chest displacement compared to the Q6. We hypothesize that this is due to the inherent anatomical and mechanical differences between the human body model and the ATD model. More research is needed to explore these differences systematically.

Justification for the initial medical data for the development of an anthropomorphic test dummy

To protect against the adverse impact of shock acceleration, technical protection equipment is being developed, the effectiveness of which is verified during the tests. Special place among these tests belongs to physical analogue of human body- anthropomorphic testing dummy. The experiments with the participation of volunteers allowed to develop anthropometric, biomechanical and consumers requirements to anthropoid testing dummy, which are corresponded to small (5 percentile), medium (50 percentile) and big Russian servicemen (95 percentile). There were also established demands to body weight, stature - body height, sitting height, height of shoulders over the seat, chest circumference, mass of the main segments of anthropoid testing dummy (head and neck, upper, middle and lower parts of a trunk, shoulder, forearm, hand, leg, foot). An anthropoid testing dummy, modeling servicemen with small sizes, must have 58 kg weight, 165,6 cm body height, 86 cm sitting height and 88,8 cm chest circumference; a dummy, modeling middle servicemen, must have 68 kg weight, 173 cm body height, 92,2 cm sitting height and 98,5 cm chest circumference; a dummy, modeling big servicemen, must have 101,2 kg weight, 190 cm body height,96,5 cm sitting height and 101,2 cm chest circumference. During the experiments with the participation of volunteers, pliability of soft tissues of human, being in connection with restraint system, was studied. It allows modeling mechanical characteristics of anthropoid testing dummy’s torso and ensure adequate reaction to inertial load of a body. There are given demands to dynamical firmness of anthropoid testing dummy and to its qualities, ensuring peculiarities of its use during natural and semi-natural testing.

Evaluation of Hybrid III and THOR-M neck kinetics and injury risk under various restraint conditions during full-scale frontal sled tests

Objective: The objective of this research was to compare the kinetics and predicted injury risks of the Hybrid III (HIII) and Test device for Human Occupant Restraint (THOR)-M necks during full-scale frontal sled tests under 3 safety restraint conditions: knee bolster (KB), knee bolster and steering wheel airbag (KB/SWAB), and knee bolster airbag and steering wheel airbag (KBAB/SWAB).Methods: Twelve sled tests were performed for the HIII and THOR-M, and 8 matched sled tests were performed using postmortem human surrogates (PMHSs). The tests were designed to match the 2012 Toyota Camry New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) full-scale crash test. Upper and lower neck forces and moments were collected from the HIII and THOR-M load cells. Inverse dynamics was used to calculate PMHS upper neck forces and moments from acceleration data until the time of head contact. The PMHSs experienced head contact with the SWAB before appreciable neck loading occurred. Therefore, PMHS neck forces and moments were only compared to the HIII and THOR-M for the KB condition. Neck injury risks were calculated for the HIII and THOR-M and were compared to the injuries observed for the PMHSs.Results: The HIII had greater upper and lower neck shear forces than the THOR-M, whereas both surrogates had similar upper and lower neck axial forces. The HIII also experienced greater peak upper neck bending moments than the THOR-M, which experienced negligible upper neck bending moments. Before head contact, the PMHSs experienced upper neck flexion, and the HIII experienced extension. The HIII and THOR-M injury risk curves predicted less than a 50% risk of an Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) 3+ injury. No AIS 3+ neck injuries were observed for the PMHS tests, but at least one AIS 2 injury was observed per condition.Conclusions: The results of this study showed that the HIII and THOR-M had different neck kinetics for these restraint conditions. In particular, the THOR-M experienced lower upper neck shear forces and bending moments. These differences are likely due to the very different neck designs of the anthropomorphic test dummies (ATDs), particularly the increased compliance of the THOR-M neck. Despite these differences, both ATDs still predicted a similar risk of AIS 3+ neck injury.

Numerical Reconstruction of Traumatic Brain Injury in Skiing and Snowboarding.

Proper evaluation of ski helmet designs and safety standards should rely on head impact conditions involved in skiing and snowboarding head injuries. To study these impacts, main crash scenarios involving head injuries are numerically replicated. Multibody models of skiers and snowboarders were developed to investigate five common crash scenarios involved in traumatic brain injury: forward and sideways skiing falls, snowboarding backward falls, collisions between users and collisions with obstacles. For each scenario, the influence of crash conditions on head impact (location, speed, linear and rotational accelerations) and risk of injury are evaluated. Crash conditions were initial velocity, user height, position and approach angle, slope steepness, obstacles, and snow stiffness. One thousand one hundred forty-nine crashes were simulated and three significant levels of impact conditions were discriminated over the investigated crash scenarios: 1) the smallest normal-to-slope impact velocities (6 km·h; 22 km·h) and peak linear accelerations (42g; 75g) were obtained during forward and sideways skiing falls; 2) snowboarding backward falls and collisions between users were associated with high normal-to-surface impact velocities (26 km·h; 32 km·h) and head accelerations (80g; 149g) above one published threshold for mild traumatic brain injury but below the pass/fail criteria of helmet standard tests; 3) collisions with obstacles were associated with high normal-to-surface impact velocities (19 km·h; 35 km·h) and the highest head accelerations (626g; 1885g). Current impact conditions of helmet standard evaluations consistently replicate collisions with obstacles, but need to be revised to better reflect other significant crash scenarios leading to traumatic brain injury.

The application of visualization techniques in clinical education of anesthesia resident standardizing training

Objective To explore the applicative effects of visualization techniques in clinical education of anesthesia resident standardizing training. Methods A total of 50 physicians who were receiving resident standardizing training were recruited. They were randomly divided into the control group and visualization group with 25 residents each. The control group was taught to perform intratracheal intubation, using traditional laryngoscope and to perform indwelling catheter via femoral vein puncture, using traditional blind method. The visualization group was taught to perform intratracheal intubation, using visual laryngoscope and to perform indwelling catheter via femoral vein puncture through ultrasound guidance method. Both groups conducted training on anthropomorphic dummy and patients. The operating time, success rates and incidence of complication were recorded. Learning curves were also graphed. GraphPad Prism 6 was used for statistical analysis. Data compared between groups were analyzed by t test and χ2 test. Results The time of intratracheal intubating on anthropomorphic dummy in control group was (45.1±16.3) s and that in visualization group was (32.8±13.4) s (P<0.05). The learning curve decreased more quickly in visualization group. The time of intratracheal intubating on patients in control group was (44.1±10.1) s and that in visualization group was (36.7±9.8) s (P<0.05). Rates of complications such as oral bleeding and postoperative sore throat was lower in visualization group (P<0.05). The femoral catheterization time of control group was (11.7±2.4) min and that of visualization group was (10.6±2.5) min (P<0.05). The success rate of control group was 76.8% and that of visualization group was 89.6% (P<0.05). Furthermore, the rate of inadvertent arterial puncture was lower in visualization group (P<0.05), and the learning curve decreased more quickly in visualization group. Conclusion Visualization techniques can provide an effective teaching method for anesthesia resident standardizing training and has broad prospects in application. Key words: Visualization techniques; Resident; Anesthesiology; Standardizing training

Mixed FE–MB methodology for the evaluation of passive safety performances of aeronautical seats

ABSTRACTThe certification of aircraft seats involves the investigation of the structural performance of their components under emergency landing conditions. . The paper reports the activities related to an experimental sled-test of a single row of two seats placed in front of a stiff fuselage bulkhead, by considering a single anthropomorphic dummy arranged on one of the seats. Tests have been developed at the facility equipped with a sled decelerator testing system compliant with certification requirements from FAR25 for TSO C127a regulations. Four different numerical models have been developed in order to simulate the experimental test: a full-FE modelby LSTC-LsDyna® code, a full-MB modeland a hybrid FE/MB developed using by TNO-Madymo® code and a Coupled FE/MB model. Numerical results achieved by these models have been compared with experimental ones, in order to assess their use for CBA (certification by analysis) purposeto be applied since the preliminary design phase of the seat.

The influence of child restraint lower attachment method on protection offered by forward facing child restraint systems in oblique loading conditions

ABSTRACTObjective: The research objective was to quantify the influence of child restraint lower attachment method on head kinematics, head impact potential, and head, neck, and thorax injury metrics for a child occupant secured in a forward-facing child restraint system (FFCRS) in oblique side impacts.Methods: Fifteen sled tests were conducted with a Q3s seated in an FFCRS secured to the center position on a production small SUV bench seat. Three lower attachment methods were evaluated: rigid ISOFIX, a flexible single loop lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH) webbing routed through the vehicle belt path of the FFCRS, and dual flexible LATCH webbing attachments on either side of the FFCRS. All were tested with and without a tether with one repeat test in each test condition. The same model FFCRS was used for all tests; only the attachment method varied. The vehicle bench seat was fixed on the sled carriage at 80° (from full frontal). The input pulse was the proposed FMVSS 213 side impact pulse scaled to a 35 km/h delta-v. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to evaluate the effect of lower attachment and tether use on 3 outcome metrics: lateral head excursion, neck tension, and neck lateral bending. Data included anthropomorphic test dummy (ATD) head excursions, head linear accelerations and angular velocities, neck loads and moments, thoracic accelerations, lateral chest deflections, lower anchor loads, and tether webbing loads. ATD head kinematics were collected from 3-dimensional motion capture cameras.Results: Results demonstrated a reduction in injury measures with the rigid ISOFIX and dual webbing attachment compared to the single webbing attachment with decreased lateral head excursions (331, 356, and 441 mm for the rigid ISOFIX, dual webbing, and single webbing systems, respectively, P <.0001), neck tension (1.4, 1.6, and 2.2 kN, P <.01), and neck lateral bending (31.8, 38.7, and 38.0 Nm, P =.002). The tether had a greater influence on lateral head excursion for the FFCRS with flexible webbing attachments than those with the rigid attachment, with the tether forces being highest with the single webbing attachment. Lateral head excursions were significantly lower and lateral neck bending moments were significantly higher with tether use (P <.0001) across all lower attachments. The effect of tether on neck tension was mixed, only showing an increased effect with the rigid ISOFIX system.Conclusion: The CRS lower attachment system influenced occupant kinetics. The results indicate that CRS attached to the vehicle via rigid and dual webbing systems exhibit improved kinematics by reducing the rotation and tipping seen with the single webbing attachment. This leads to reduced lateral head excursions and neck tension values. The advantages of the tether in reducing lateral head excursion in side impacts are most pronounced with the flexible webbing attachments. With tether use low in the United States, a dual webbing type FFCRS attachment system may be a better attachment method than single webbing and provide a simpler engineering solution than rigid ISOFIX attachment.