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Dummy simulates the human body

An ESI Group product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 3, 2007

Version 2.0 of BioRID-II dummy has an articulated thoracic/lumbar spine similar to the human one.

ESI Group has released Version 2.0 of BioRID-II (biofidelic rear impact dummy) for Pam-Crash/Pam-Safe 2G.

This first industrial version of the newest BioRID-II dummy has an articulated thoracic/lumbar spine similar to the human one (having 24 vertebrae).

The neck is maintained under pre-tension load via a muscle substitute consisting of a single damper mounted in parallel with a flexor and an extensor spring.

The abdomen is filled with a water cavity and the torso texture is a soft silicon rubber.

This FE dummy model brings an advantage in the design and optimisation of car seats to improve protection from whiplash injuries and therefore meet the challenge of the sixth star at EuroNCAP.

"By using BioRID-II dummy car manufacturers enhance seat-frame structure so that it absorbs more energy and reduces rebound effects, which is decisive to assure the safety of the car occupants during a car crash", says Peter Ullrich, Crash Safety and Impact Product Manager, ESI Group.

BioRID-II with Pam-Crash/Pam-Safe 2G makes it possible to accurately simulate the acceleration, force and the kinematics of a car occupant in order to minimise the whiplash injuries that can occur during a rear crash.

Whiplash hurls the head violently backward (hyperextension) and forward (hyperflexion).

The injury is even worse when the head is turned to the side at the time of the accident.

Whiplash is the most common case of injuries in car crashes.

One out of seven whiplash victims will still suffer significant pain more than three years after the accident.

These kind of injuries are therefore associated with serious medical consequences.

They can affect intervertebral joints, discs, and ligaments, cervical muscles, and nerves.

The resulting claims cost Germany an average of Eur 500 million per year.

Reducing these numbers is a challenge for all the engineers involved in improving the safety of the car occupants.

BioRID-II dummy model was validated on series of component tests over the torso, head, neck and spine assemblies and on sled tests.

The sled tests were performed for three representative pulses on a test device with a deformable back rest calibrated to reproduce the behaviour of typical car seats.

This FE model was developed in an FAT Project in co-operation with all the German car makers, seat manufacturers, and Denton COE, the manufacturer of the hardware dummy.

Find out more about this article. Request a brochure, download technical specifications and request samples here.

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