A Pilot Study on Modelling of the Human Body Loading as a Function of Ship Motion for Crew Safety in Seakeeping

Conference poster, 2024

For the safety of crew on board a ship, the impact of ship motions (e.g., pitching, rolling, and heaving) on the human body is critical. The motion of a
ship in waves (Fig. 1) can cause discomfort, fatigue (Table 1), injury, and even death, particularly under extreme weather conditions or fast ship speeds. Thus, the ship and seat designs need to be optimized based on how the ship motion affects crew members. By modeling the ship, seat and human, designers of these systems will be able to evaluate safety in a scientific way.

This project aims to introduce Human Body Models (HBM) in simulations of ship motions in heavy sea conditions on the human body. A further aim is to understand how to predict injuries in these simulations to leverage injury prevention.