Dummy development to evaluate spine injuries

Accident data suggests that there is a need to be able to enhance the protection afforded to car occupants involved in rear impact accidents. To do this there is a need to be able to assess the risk of rear impact injury using appropriate test procedures, test devices and assessment criteria. The project, presented in this report, was set up to investigate test devices that could be used to assess rear impact injury risk. It was divided into several phases. To initiate the study, a literature review was carried out. This review found that the data available for specifying rear impact dummy performance was limited. However, from this review, a list of points was extracted that had implications for the design of rear impact dummies. A series of low-severity, volunteer, rear impact, sled tests was carried out in order to obtain suitable data for specifying the performance of rear impact dummies. EMG readings from the volunteer tests showed almost instantaneous tensing of major muscle groups in the back and neck. It was concluded that bracing significantly affected the motion of the head. This strongly suggested that PMHS data is not suitable for developing dummy design and assessment performance corridors, that might be used to assess whiplash injury risk. The volunteer tests allowed TRL to develop a set of easily repeatable performance corridors for the design and assessment of rear impact dummies, which could be used to evaluated rear impact injury risk. Within this project, a combined Hybrid III dummy/human mathematical (FE) model was developed. Rear impact sled tests were also carried out with three different anthropomorphic test dummies and two dummy variants with alternative necks. The dummy results have been compared with the volunteer performance corridors. This has shown that no version of the Hybrid III dummy tested, gives a satisfactory performance. The THOR is not considered suitable for use as a whiplash dummy because it does not demonstrate the required biofidelic flexibility of the spine and torso. The BioRID appeared to show potential for use as a whiplash dummy. However, the BioRID torso, together with the spine, requires greater flexibility, and further tuning of the individual spine sections' stiffness is needed. (A)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1846089417
• Authors:
  • ROBERTS, A K
  • CARROLL, J A
• Publication Date: 2005-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 228p
• Serial:
  • PUBLISHED PROJECT REPORT PPR067
  • Publisher: TRL
  • ISSN: 0968-4093

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Anthropometry; Biophysics; Crash severity; Crash tests; Design; Dummies; Finite element method; Hazards; Head; Mathematical models; Rear end crashes; Spinal column; Stiffness
• ITRD Terms: 1618: Anthropometric dummy; 2060: Biomechanics; 9011: Design (overall design); 6490: Finite element method; 1648: Impact test (crash); 6473: Mathematical model; 1620: Rear end collision; 9150: Risk; 1623: Severity (accid, injury); 2041: Spinal column; 5931: Stiffness
• Subject Areas: Design; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I84: Personal Injuries;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01018295
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 1-84608-941-7
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Feb 2 2006 8:17AM