COMPOSITE MATERIALS FOR MANIKIN SKELETAL COMPONENTS

THE STRUCTURAL SKELETAL COMPONENTS USED IN MODERN TEST MANIKIN DO NOT PROVIDE ADEQUATE BIOFIDELIC INERTIAL OR DEFORMATION RESPONSE. THIS PHASE I SBIR EFFORT WILL ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF USING COMPOSITE MATERIALS TO OBTAIN A MORE HUMAN-LIKE RESPONSE IN LONG BONE SKELETAL COMPONENTS OF TEST DUMMIES. THE MAIN QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED THROUGH THIS PHASE I EFFORT ARE: 1) WHAT ARE THE INERTIAL AND DEFORMATION LONG BONE (FEMUR AND HUMERUS) CHARACTERISTICS? 2) WHAT COMPOSITE CONSTITUENTS, WEAVE, AND PROCESSING REQUIREMENTS ARE NECESSARY TO SIMULATE THESE LONG BONE CHARACTERISTICS: AND 3) WHAT ARE THE MANUFACTURING AND COST CONCERNS ASSOCIATED WITH USING COMPOSITE MATERIALS TO SIMULATE HUMAN LONG BONE CHARACTERISTICS IN HIGH PERFORMANCE TEST MANIKINS? THE PROGRAM APPROACH WILL BE TO OBTAIN AND ANALYZE LONG BONE DATA, SURVEY CANDIDATE COMPOSITE CONSTITUENT MATERIALS AND SELECT POTENTIAL FIBERS; AND DEVELOP AN ANALYTICAL MODEL OF THE MATERIAL WHICH WILL PREDICT THE MECHANICAL RESPONSE OF THE PROPOSED MATERIAL; FABRICATE AND TEST TWO COMPOSITE LONG BONE COMPOSITE SEGMENTS, ESTABLISH FIRST ORDER MANUFACTURING AND COST PARAMETERS FOR THE PROPOSED MATERIALP; AND PREPARED THE SBIR PHASE II DESIGN, ANALYSIS, FABRICATION AND TEST PLANS.