Gross kinematics responses simulation of vehicular passenger during automobile crash

• Main Author: Tan, Chin Wan.
• Other Authors: Teo Ee Chon
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Mechanics and dynamics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/16224
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With the increasing number of vehicles on the road, it is important to understand the neck and head injuries inflicted on the human as a result of traffic accidents. The use of the Articulated Total Body (ATB) biodynamic modelling software allows us to predict the vehicle impact on the driver caused by an accident through the simulation of the dynamic responses of the body segments. This project simulated and compared the effect of four different types of belts (Lap shoulder belt, No-belt, X-belt and V-belt) in a normal driving position in one case study, and three different types of driving posture (Normal posture, On-phone posture and Bent posture to pick up an object while driving) with Lap shoulder in another case study on the movement of the dummy’s head with reference to neck at three impact angles (namely frontal, rear and side). All scenarios simulated used a fixed male subject of 167 pound (about 75Kg) and a sled impact of the vehicle with maximum acceleration amplitude of 9.42G. It was observed seat belt restraint with less restriction on the upper torso resulted in less abrupt head movement and thus less strain on the neck. However, different types of seat belt did not play a significant role, except in the Bent posture, in rear impact direction where high inertial loading occurs, giving rise to abrupt head and neck movement resulting in whiplash injury. For different driver’s postures, it was observed that free hand movement in Posture 2 (On-phone posture) seemed to prolong the time of head impact, thus lessen the reactive force giving less strain to the neck.