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This paper presents a parametric study that utilized the CVS/ATB multi-body simulation program to investigate the interaction of the hand and wrist with a door handgrip during side air bag loading. The goal was to quantify the relative severity of various hand and handgrip positions as a guide in the selection of a test matrix for laboratory testing. The air bag was represented as a multi-body system of ellipsoidal surfaces that were created to simulate a prototype seat-mounted thorax side air bag. All simulations were set in a similar static test environment as used in corresponding dummy and cadaver side air bag testing. The occupant mass and geometric properties were based on a 5th percentile female occupant in order to represent a high-risk segment of the adult population. The upper extremity model consisted of wrist and forearm rotations that were based on human volunteer data.

A mathematical statement of the problem of optimum design of shock isolation systems is presented and two computational methods of solution are examined. These are termed the direct and indirect methods of design optimization. The direct method is the more conventional, and employs numerical search procedures common to problems of constrained minimization. As such, its main limitations stem from the usual computational burden associated with large problems. The indirect method is akin to modern techniques of control theory, and appears applicable to large, complex systems; moreover, it provides information useful to the designer on the bounds of possible system performance that is not available through the direct method. An extensive bibliography is presented.

Although computer simulation is regarded primarily as a tool for systems analysis, simulation can also be used in the process of systems optimization. This paper describes recent enhancements to a computer program package which enables the use of vehicle and occupant simulation models in determining the design of vehicles and restraints for maximum occupant impact protection. Also described is an application of this program package to determine the optimal design of a passenger vehicle involved in frontal collisions.