Enhancing Female and Male SAFER HBM Torso Injury Prediction

Research Project, 2024 – 2027

With increasing vehicle automation and shared mobility solutions, occupant sitting postures and activities are
expected to vary more than in today’s vehicles. Development of protection systems adapted for this increases
the requirements on the tools that are used. Virtual Human Body Models (HBMs) such as the SAFER HBM
have the potential to fulfil these requirements and predict human response and injury risk. Through morphing
capabilities, SAFER HBM can represent both women and men of various age and Body Mass Index (BMI).
The future sitting postures such as reclined alters the kinematics of the occupant in crashes. The loads on the
torso are altered relative to today’s sitting postures which leads to new and added challenges for the restraint
system. The challenges include reduction of rib and sternum fracture risk and to control the pelvis to belt
interaction to reduce the pelvis and abdomen injury risk.
Therefore, addressing the goals of the subprogramme “Safe Automated Driving: Safety for road users inside
and outside the vehicle”, this project will further improve SAFER HBM's biofidelity and torso injury risk
prediction capabilities for a variety sitting postures, injury severity levels, across a range of crash situations
addressing all vehicle occupants. Project goals include enhancing both chest injury predictions, by including
sternum, costal cartilage, and enhanced rib fracture risk predictions, as well as pelvis fracture risk prediction
and assessment of pelvis to lap belt interaction to address submarining risk, for both female and male
occupants of different age and BMI. This means that the morphing capabilities will be further enhanced, and
that sex, age and BMI will be considered when developing injury risk functions.
Autoliv Development AB (Autoliv) is responsible for the application and will execute the project together
with Chalmers University of Technology (Chalmers), Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SU), and Volvo
Personvagnar AB (Volvo Cars). The project duration is 2024-02-01 – 2027-01-31, with a total budget of
SEK 20 168 000 whereof SEK 9 893 200 is sought as funding.