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The WorldSID project is a global effort to design a new generation side impact crash test dummy under the direction of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The first WorldSID crash dummy will represent a world-harmonized mid-size adult male. This paper discusses the research and rationale undertaken to define the anthropometry of a world standard midsize male in the typical automotive seated posture. Various anthropometry databases are compared region by region and in terms of the key dimensions needed for crash dummy design. The Anthropometry for Motor Vehicle Occupants (AMVO) dataset, as established by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI), is selected as the basis for the WorldSID mid-size male, updated to include revisions to the pelvis bone location. The proposed mass of the dummy is 77.3kg with full arms. The rationale for the selected mass is discussed. The joint location and surface landmark database is appended to this paper.

By accurately reconstituting accidents whose parameters are well known from multidisciplinary accident investigation, it is possible to associate forces and accelerations values with injuries sustained by occupants involved in in-the-field accidents. In this study, two in-the-field accidents, their reconstruction conducted by using dummies as occupants, and their reconstruction then with human cadavers are analysed. These accidents reconstructions allow to associate and compare accident occupants injuries with acceleration forces, injuries criteria values measured on dummies, and, on the other hand, accelerations, injuries criteria values, injuries sustained by cadavers during the second accident reconstruction.

Experimental car-pedestrian collisions were performed with a modified PART 572 dummy and cadavers; they involved some reconstructions of real accidents. These collisions brought to light the differences between the kinematics and the impact responses when dummy and human subject are compared under identical and realistic test conditions to simulate a pedestrian struck sideways. These differences are mainly due to the overall relative stiffness of the PART 572 dummy when compared to cadavers. Same-type collisions were therefore carried out again with other dummies which were designed so as to simulate human response in lateral impact better; thus they were also assumed to display better kinematics as pedestrians. APROD and ONSER dummies were used; when compared to PART 572, their flexibility and deformation capabilities are greater, in particular as regards their thoraxes and shoulders.

In this paper are analysed the results of ten accident reconstructions of 5 frontal actual car traffic accidents. These accidents involved 9 restrained occupants, and were reconstructed first with 50th percentile dummies and then with human cadavers. The results of these reconstructions are analysed in order to compare the injuries sustained in real accident first, with the injury criteria values recorded on dummies, and second with injuries and injury criteria values found on cadavers. The results show that an AIS 3 head injury in actual accident could correspond to a low value of HIC recorded on dummy, that there is a large scatter in chest injury criteria related to chest injuries, and that if we need a protection for almost all occupants in frontal impact, we have to choose chest injury criteria value lower than the proposed one.

Several similar real world pedestrian accidents are described and a number of different methods of reconstructing these accidents are reported. The results of full scale experimental reconstructions of two of the accidents using both dummies and cadavers as the pedestrian surrogate are presented. The effects on the pedestrian’s head contact with the vehicle of variations in the initial impact conditions are examined by computer simulation using the MADYMO two dimensional mathematical model. The reproduction of the vehicle damage resulting from pedestrian head contact in four of the accidents using an impactor is then described. The relative merits of different methods of reproducing accidents are considered and a methodology for the reproduction of real world accidents outlined.

The Eurosid dummy designed by several European research laboratories was used and evaluated in intensive test programs conducted in North America, in Japan, and in Europe. Analysis of evaluation reports that Eurosid is the most biofidelic dummy, but its response to impact has discripancies by comparison to ISO requirements for side impact dummies. This paper includes the analysis of Eurosid pelvis response to impacts, considers the influence of some possible design modifications to improve its response, and select those which are valuable. DURING THE LAST TWO YEARS, the EUROSID dummy was used by many research laboratories and test groups. The results of tests using the EUROSID dummy show that it may be improved to have a response closer to the biofidelity requirements, especially for the thorax and the pelvis.

EUROSID is the side impact dummy that has been designed and has now been almost completely developed by a group of European research laboratories working together under the auspices of the European Experimental Vehicles Committee (EEVC). It represents a bringing together of components and ideas from the three experimental sided impact dummies sponsored by the EEC1 as part of their Biomechanics Programme. These were produced by APR (Peugeot-Renault), ONSER, and MIRA. This paper describes the evolution of the EUROSID dummy and discusses the advances in biofidelity, the responses of its various components to impact, and the types of measurements it can record.