DEVELOPMENT OF A FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF THE TOTAL HUMAN MODEL FOR SAFETY (THUMS) AND APPLICATION TO INJURY RECONSTRUCTION

TLDR

A finite element model of a mid‑size adult occupant, comprising over 80,000 elements for bones, ligaments, tendons, flesh, and skin, was developed and validated through simulations of body part impact responses and detailed head, shoulder, and organ models. When coupled with a vehicle interior model, the human model accurately reproduced occupant gross motions and multiple injuries in a real‑world accident simulation. Keywords: Human Body, Finite Element Method, Biofidelity, Injuries, Accident Reconstructions.

Abstract

A finite element model of a mid-size adult occupant has been developed in order to estimate overall injuries in traffic accident situations. Bones, ligaments, tendons, flesh, and skin are modeled using more than 80,000 elements. Several simulations were performed to validate impact responses of each body part. Detailed models of the head/face, shoulder, and individual internal organs have been also developed for more detailed analysis. The human model was used together with a model of a vehicle's internal structure to simulate a real-world accident situation and the simulations successfully reproduced gross motions and multiple injuries of an occupant. Key words: Human Body, Finite Element Method, Biofidelity, Injuries, Accident Reconstructions Without page numbers