Detailed analysis of 3D occupant kinematics and muscle activity during the pre-crash phase as basis for human modeling based on sled tests

Kirschbichler, Stefan; Sinz, Wolfgang; Prüggler, Adrian; Huber, Philipp; Steiner, Kurt

Affiliations

¹Graz University of Technology, Vehicle Safety Institute, Austria

²Virtual Vehicle Research and Test Center, Austria

Abstract

Today, human models are frequently used for improvements in occupant and pedestrian protection. The models have been carefully prepared with respect to anthropometric and biomechanical validity but do not include muscle activity.

Hence, primary safety issues cannot be addressed by the model, since during low loading the model is not stabilized by muscles. Therefore, the OM4IS (“Occupant Model for Integrated Safety”) project was initiated by a large consortium including scientific (Virtual Vehicle Research and Test Center, Graz University of Technology, Bundesanstalt für Straßenwesen BASt) and industry (PDB, Bosch, Toyoda Gosei Europe, TRW, DYNAmore GmbH) to examine muscle activity from volunteer tests and implement the results in a human model. The second aim is to find movement patterns which will be integrated in the simulation to develop active restraint systems.

The main focus in this project is set on two different driving maneuvers. The first one is an emergency braking maneuver the second one is a lane change maneuver. In a first step these two maneuvers were simulated with sled tests and later these maneuvers had been carried out with a real vehicle on a test track. The purpose of the sled tests was to generate first input data for the numerical simulation and to check if it is possible to measure necessary information without vehicle tests. A seat was fixed on a sled and accelerated longitudinally to simulate the emergency braking maneuver and afterwards turned by 90 degrees to simulate lateral loading.

In total eleven volunteers, weight and height correlated to the 50% male, were tested and analyzed. Kinematic analyses were performed using two different motion capturing systems, one infrared based system and one high-speed video system. Two different systems were chosen to evaluate the adaptability for vehicle tests. Additionally muscle activity was measured with surface EMG (Electromyography) for upper body muscles.

First results showed a significant difference among volunteers. Repeated tests with the same volunteer showed minor differences. Movement patterns varied significantly between different tests. Detailed information concerning simulation is presented in a separate paper [7].

Links

URL: http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/esv/esv22/22ESV-000162.pdf

Cited Works (7)

Year	Entry
1980	Begeman PC, King AI, Levine RS, Viano DC. Biodynamic response of the musculoskeletal system to impact acceleration. In: Proceedings of the 24th Stapp Car Crash Conference. October 15-17, 1980; Troy, MI. Warrendale, PA: Society of Automotive Engineers:479-509. SAE 801312.
2005	Muggenthaler H, Adamec J, Praxl N, Schönpflug M. The influence of muscle activity on occupant kinematics. In: Proceedings of the 2005 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 21-23, 2005; Prague, Czech Republic.313-323.
2001	Robin S. HUMOS: HUman MOdel for Safety: a joint effort towards the development of refined human-like car occupant models. In: Proceedings of the 17th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 4-7, 2001; Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
1997	De Luca CJ. The use of surface electromyography in biomechanics. J Appl Biomech. May 1997;13(2):135-163.
2005	Adamec J, Praxl N, Miehling T, Muggenthaler H, Schönpflug M. The occupant kinematics in the first phase of a rollover accident: experiment and simulation. In: Proceedings of the 2005 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 21-23, 2005; Prague, Czech Republic.145-156.
2011	Prüggler A, Huber P, Rieser A, Steiner K, Kirschbichler S, Eichberger A. Implementation of reactive human behavior in a numerical human body model using controlled beam elements as muscle element substitutes. In: Proceedings of the 22nd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 13-16, 2011; Washington, DC.
2007	Ejima S, Ono K, Holcombe S, Kaneoka K, Fukushima M. A study on occupant kinematics behaviour and muscle activities during pre-impact braking based on volunteer tests. In: Proceedings of the 2007 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Impact. September 19-21, 2007; Maastricht, The Netherlands.31-45.

Cited By (7)

Year	Entry
2011	Prüggler A, Huber P, Rieser A, Steiner K, Kirschbichler S, Eichberger A. Implementation of reactive human behavior in a numerical human body model using controlled beam elements as muscle element substitutes. In: Proceedings of the 22nd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles (ESV). June 13-16, 2011; Washington, DC.
2013	Huber P, Christova M, D’Addetta GA, Gallasch E, Kirschbichler S, Mayer C, Prüggler A, Rieser A, Sinz W, Wallner D. Muscle activation onset latencies and amplitudes during lane change in a full vehicle test. In: Proceedings of the 2013 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 11-13, 2013; Gothenburg, Sweden.628-640.
2013	Ito D, Ejima S, Kitajima S, Katoh R, Ito H, Sakane M, Nishino T, Nakayama K, Ato T, Kimura T. Occupant kinematic behavior and effects of a motorized seatbelt on occupant restraint of human volunteers during low speed frontal impact: mini‐sled tests with mass production car seat. In: Proceedings of the 2013 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 11-13, 2013; Gothenburg, Sweden.831-841.
2014	Huber P, Kirschbichler S, Prüggler A, Steidl T. Three‐dimensional occupant kinematics during frontal, lateral and combined emergency maneuvers. In: Proceedings of the 2014 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. September 10-12, 2014; Berlin, Germany.668-669.
2020	González‐García M, Weber J, Sugiyama T, Peldschus S, Sandoz B. Closing the gap between sled and in‐vehicle volunteer head‐neck kinematics under moderate lateral accelerations. In: Proceedings of the 2020 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury. 2020; Munich, Germany.429-430.
2019	Holt CM. Understanding the Effects of Age and Safety Countermeasures on Occupant Kinematics in Low-Acceleration, Time-Extended Events [PhD thesis]. Drexel University; March 2019.
2022	Mühlbauer JA. Entwicklung regionaler Validierungsexperimente mit Freiwilligen für aktive Finite-Elemente Menschmodelle [PhD thesis]. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; 2022.