Development of an LS-DYNA Occupant Model for use in Crash Analyses of Roadside Safety Features

The approach used here is to construct much of the occupant model from rigid bodies connected by joints. The geometry and weight of each body segment were obtained from specifications of anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) commonly used in crash testing. Additional flexible components of the occupant model, such as the neck and spine, were modeled using deformable elements with geometry and properties chosen to match those of the ATDs. Using the correct combination of deformable and rigid components results in an occupant model that is computationally efficient and capable of simulating occupant kinematics in a collision.