FRONTAL IMPACT PROTECTION: TAILORING SAFETY SYSTEM PERFORMANCE BY THE PREDICTION OF DRIVER SIZE AND SEATED POSITION

摘要

The design of systems to protect occupants in car crashes assume that the size and seated position of the driver is 'average'. If the occupant protection system had information that the driver is larger or smaller than 'average', sitting closer to or further from the steering wheel, the system could tailor its performance and enhance the protection offered. In this study measurements of anthropometric characteristics of drivers and their position were taken and analyses carried out to identify correlations between the measures. It is possible to predict a driver's physical dimensions and seated position from these data. The algorithms provided an input to the determination of the physical characteristics of the driver and their seated position in relation to the steering wheel, from sensors in the seat and seat mounting.