Characterising bicyclist posture in various bicycle types for safety evaluation

Oikonomou, Maria; Iraeus, Johan; Lioras, Athanasios; Mylonas, Vasileios; Rorris, Lambros; Mihailidis, Athanassios

Affiliations

¹School of Mechanical Engineering in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

²Division of Vehicle Safety, Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg,

³Software Research and Development Department of BETA CAE Systems SA, in Thessaloniki, Greece

⁴School of Physical Education and Sport Science in Aristotle University of Thessalonik

⁵Software Research and Development Department of BETA CAE Systems International, Luzern, Switzerland

Abstract and keywords

The growing use of bicycles and the increasing frequency of accidents underscore the need for an in-depth investigation into bicyclists’ kinematics and injuries. This study aims to collect and analyse bicyclists’ posture data across three bicycle types to facilitate the positioning of Human Body Model (HBM) for implementation in crash simulations. Ten male volunteers, with characteristics similar to the 50th percentile male, were measured while riding in the city, racing, and mountain bikes.

Characteristic angles of the volunteers’ postures were calculated for each bicycle and for pedal angles ranging from 0 degreesto 360 degrees, with a 30-degree increment. This approach allowed for the examination of posture variations throughout the pedaling cycle and across different bicycle types. The findings indicate that, apart from the characteristic angles of the lower extremities, the pelvis and spine were most influenced through the pedaling for each bike. Notably, the differences in characteristic angles across the three bikes were greater in the pelvis, spine region, and upper extremities compared to those occurring in the lower extremities.

The posture information obtained from this study can guide the future positioning of HBMs, thereby enhancing the accuracy of crash simulations.

Keywords: Bicyclist; posture; volunteer measurements; vulnerable road user; Human Body Models

Links

URL: https://www.ircobi.org/wordpress/downloads/irc24/pdf-files/24116.pdf

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