Human volunteer kinematics in rear-end sled collisions

A number of current projects are developing new crash test dummies for rear-end impact testing. The validation of such a dummy design requires human response data from pertinent test situations. The objectives of this study are to quantify human head, neck, chest, pelvis and femur mechanical response in a well defined test seat. Another aim is to see how the response varies with seat design and sled speed change during low-speed rear-end collisions. This data is intended to be used in the validation of the crash test dummy (BioRID I) in rear-end impact situations, with a focus on low delta V (velocity change) collisions. Thirteen human subjects were exposed to 28 rear-end collision sled impacts with velocity changes close to 5 and 7 krn/h respectively. The results showed vertical motion of the subjects' H-point caused by ramping up along the seat, a forward rotat ion of the subjects' femur and maybe a contraction of the subjects' gluteus muscles. A vertical motion of the subjects' torso and head was also observed. This motion was caused by a combination of ramping up along the seat back and the straightening of the thoracic kyphosis. In the first 100 ms after impact, several subjects flexed their head relative T1. These new data have proven to be useful as validation data for new rear-end impact dummies.