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Mathematical modelling of the human body is widely used for automotive crash-safety research and design. Simulations have contributed to a reduction of injury numbers by optimisation of vehicle structures and restraint systems. Currently such simulations are largely performed using occupant models based on crash-dummies. These models inherit the apparent differences between dummies and the real human body. Furthermore, crash-dummies are only available for a limited set of body sizes. In order to assess passive safety for different body sizes, a method has been developed to generate models representing subjects of varying anthropometry. This method has been applied to “scale” crash-dummy models towards different body sizes and proportions. As a next step, models of the real human body for impact loading have been developed. A combination of modelling techniques is applied using rigid bodies for most body segments, but describing the thorax as a flexible structure.

Mathematical modelling is widely used for crash-safety research and design. However, most occupant models used in crash simulations are based on crash dummies and thereby inherit their apparent limitations. Several models simulating parts of the real human body have been published, but only few describe the entire human body and these models were developed and validated only for a limited range of conditions. This paper describes a human body model for both frontal and rearward loading. A combination of modelling techniques is applied using rigid bodies for most body segments, but describing the thorax as a flexible structure. The skin is described in detail using an arbitrary surface. Static and dynamic properties of the articulations have been derived from literature. The RAMSIS anthropometric database has been used to define a model representing a 50th percentile male.