ARTICULATED TOTAL BODY (ATB) BIODYNAMIC MODELING

THE ARTICULATED TOTAL BODY (ATB) MODEL WAS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED AS A RESEARCH TOOL TO REDUCE SEVERITY OF INJURY TO MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH VICTIMS. THIS SAME THEME WAS REITERATED BY AIR FORCE RESEARCH PERSONNEL WHO APPLY IT TO THE STUDY OF AIRCREW-MEMBERS DURING EMERGENCY EJECTION FROM AIRCRAFT IN FLIGHT. IN BOTH APPLICATIONS, THE USE OF MODELING IS PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE SINCE IT REDUCES RISK AND COST ASSOCIATED WITH ACTUAL TESTING. FURTHERMORE, THE MODEL SUPPORTS SYSTEM EVALUATIONS UNDER OPERATING CONDITIONS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE INFEASIBLE TO TEST WITH HUMAN SUBJECTS. PRESENTLY THE ATB MODEL RUNS ON EITHER A MAINFRAME COMPUTER OR A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED MINICOMPUTER. A PRINCIPAL GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A VERSION OF THE ATB MODEL THAT CAN RUN ON PC SYSTEMS, THEREBY MAKING IT AVAILABLE TO INVESTIGATORS WITH LIMITED COMPUTER RESOURCES BOTH IN GOVERNMENT AND INDUSTRY.