Evaluation of Biofidelity & Repeatability and the Influence of Different Positioning for THOR-NTDummy

Component tests on the head, neck, thorax, abdomen and face were conducted to evaluate the biofidelity of the Test Device of Human Occupant Restraint -- New Technology (THOR-NT). HYGE sled tests were also conducted to evaluate repeatability and to investigate the influence of different positioning to dummy responses. Three frontal HYGE sled tests were conducted under the same conditions with a velocity of 56km/h, acceleration of 270m/s², and a designed standard seat position. Repeatability of dummy responses was evaluated by coefficient of variation (CV) calculated based on the peak values of accelerations, deflections, forces and moments measured. The following three categories were defined as evaluation criteria of repeatability by CV: CV 10% as poor. The kinematic and dynamic responses of THOR-NT were additionally compared with that of Hybrid-III. Furthermore, in order to investigate the influence of different positioning to dummy responses, a 56km/h frontal HYGE sled test was conducted on a dummy positioned according to the ATD positioning procedure developed by University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). In the biofidelity evaluation, only head responses were within the PMHS response corridors. For repeatability, 10 (32%) out of 31 items in all of the data had an evaluation criteria within CV<=5%. Comparison of dummy responses between UMTRI and standard positioning showed similarity in kinematic responses of the upper body. However, the maximum displacement of ankle in X-direction with respect to the initial position was larger in the UMTRI position compared to the standard position. In the UMTRI position, the feet which are initially positioned away from the toe board comes in contact with the toe board and slide upward due to the forward movement to the vehicle body during impact. Due to this, difference in dynamic responses of the legs between the UMTRI and standard position was observed.