Development of a 3D Finite Element Model of the Human Body

Even though computational techniques are now very common in automotive safety engineering, there is still a need for further development of biofidelic tools for assessing human responses in crash situations. The authors of this paper designed a 3D finite element model of the human body and constituted a large experimental database for the purpose of validation. The geometry of the seated 50th percentile adult male was chosen for the model. The number of elements used to represent the anatomy was limited to 10,000. Material laws come from existing literature and when necessary, parameter identification processes were used. Special attention was paid to the constitution of the validation database. Boundary conditions and results from most of the available cadaver and volunteer experiments were analyzed. More than 30 test configurations were selected, including sled, impactor, and belt compression tests with a wide range of energy levels and in frontal, lateral, and oblique directions. 120+ corridors were derived and integrated into the development of the validation phase. The model behavior was evaluated in the light of a set of impacts in a vehicle environment. The validation database is described in detail and correlation obtained between model responses and experimental results is shown. Uses of the model are discussed.