Final Activity Report Summary - MDO-WAD (Multi-disciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) of adaptive vehicle safety systems for Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD))
These results from this report suggest that vehicle design plays an important role in protecting the occupant from whiplash injury and highlights the importance of examining the effect of all key design features on the different phases of the whiplash motion. Different design factors may have different levels of influence on the phases of the whiplash motion. Second, the results suggest that, in designing and rating vehicles for whiplash protection, it is important to look at the vehicle as a system and not just a single design variable such as seat stiffness or head restraint geometry.
It is likely that, at different crash magnitudes, the influence of vehicle design parameters would change significantly. Finally, the results of this study also suggest that the multiple phases of whiplash make vehicle design quite challenging. The relationship between design features and proposed injury measures is shown to be very complex. The results also highlight the influence of structural force-deflection characteristics in mitigating whiplash. The significant role that vehicle stiffness plays, particularly in the retraction phase, is something that should be considered by testing agencies that will be rating vehicle performance.
This research can be considered as a unique project, as the research approach uses multidisciplinary design optimisation techniques to design safer vehicles. The results from this report provide useful tools/methods to improve vehicle safety.
It is likely that, at different crash magnitudes, the influence of vehicle design parameters would change significantly. Finally, the results of this study also suggest that the multiple phases of whiplash make vehicle design quite challenging. The relationship between design features and proposed injury measures is shown to be very complex. The results also highlight the influence of structural force-deflection characteristics in mitigating whiplash. The significant role that vehicle stiffness plays, particularly in the retraction phase, is something that should be considered by testing agencies that will be rating vehicle performance.
This research can be considered as a unique project, as the research approach uses multidisciplinary design optimisation techniques to design safer vehicles. The results from this report provide useful tools/methods to improve vehicle safety.