COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR MANIKIN SKELETAL COMPONENTS KP 358-86

MANIKINS USED IN CRASH/IMPACT TESTS AND IN THE TESTING OF ESCAPE SYSTEMS AND RESTRAINT DEVICES REQUIRE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH ADEQUATE TO REPEATEDLY WITHSTAND THE HIGH LOADS IMPOSED UPON THEM BY VARIOUS DYNAMIC TEST CONDITIONS. THE USE OF METAL-BONDED SKELETONS TO ACHIEVE THE REQUISITE STRENGTH SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES THE DIFFICULTY OF PROVIDING THE MASS DISTRIBUTION AND LOAD DEFORMATION CHARACTERISTICS NEEDED TO OBTAIN GOOD BIOFIDELIC RESPONSE DURING TESTS. AS TEST ENVIRONMENTS BECOME MORE SEVERE, MANIKIN STRENGTH REQUIREMENTS TEND TO INCREASE AND ADEQUATE MANIKIN BIOFIDELITY BECOMES MORE CRITICAL AND MORE DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE. THIS DOCUMENT PRESENTS A PHASE I PROPOSAL FOR A PROJECT TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF IMPROVING THE BIOFIDELITY OF A MODERN MANIKIN SUCH AS HYBRID III BY REPLACING THE EXISTING METAL BONES WITH STRONGER, LIGHTER WEIGHT COMPOSITE MATERIAL STRUCTURAL MEMBERS WHICH INCORPORATE APPROPRIATE BALLASTING FEATURES.