Occupant Kinematic Modeling

Recent projects include study of injuries suffered in a frontal accident wherein the rear seat occupant submarined under the lap belt. An ATB simulation demonstrates that the addition of a shoulder belt would eliminate the likelihood of submarining and related injuries for this type of accident and provided effective occupant protection. Modeling of frontal offset collisions demonstrate the effectiveness of padding on automobile A-pillars and the relative effectiveness of door-mounted restraints. The Articulated Total Body (ATB) computer model is a dynamic multi-body simulation program which has been utilized to model and analyze occupant motion, injury mechanisms and injury mitigation in a variety of automotive impact environments. We have continued to use ATB extensively to model real world automotive accidents. This tool allows us to understand injury mechanisms and to investigate alternative design effectiveness.