This publication deals with the investigation of advanced occupant protection principles for rotated seating positions in highly and fully automated vehicles. In this context, a repositioning of the occupant into a safe seating configuration prior to a crash can be an integral part of a holistic safety concept.

The two presented principles address a passenger in a rotated position, pointing away from the driving direction. When a crash is imminent, the seat is rotated into the crash direction, to ensure airbag and seatintegrated three-point belt system can provide restraint. While in the first protection principle the seat is actively rotated, in the second principle the rotation is caused by the inertia of the seat and occupant. A Simcenter Madymo Active Human model in a generic multibody vehicle interior representation was used to investigate these principles, focusing on the effects of rotational repositioning on the occupant’s kinematic response. Based on a simulation study, the responses on different parameter settings for the two principles were analysed. It is shown that the two repositioning mechanisms can bring the occupant closer to a standard position prior to a crash. Recommendations for corresponding timeframes as well as rotational axes for a full-frontal crash are given.