DEVELOPMENT OF AN IMPROVED NECK FOR EJECTION SYSTEM TESTING MANIKINS

CURRENT TESTING MANIKINS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO SIMULATE HUMAN RESPONSE TO IMPACT CONDITIONS PRIMARILY FOR APPLICATIONS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. OF MAIN CONCERN HAS BEEN THE RESPONSE OF THE NECK TO FORWARD AND LATERAL IMPACT DIRECTIONS. AS A RESULT, THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT OF TEST MANIKINS HAVE FOCUSED ON SIMULATING THE HUMAN NECK IN THESE PRINCIPAL DIRECTIONS. CONSEQUENTLY, THERE HAS BEEN A COMPARATIVE SMALL AMOUNT OF DEVELOPMENT WORK TO IMPROVE THE BIOFIDELITY OF MANIKIN NECKS FOR APPLICATION IN EJECTION SEAT TESTING. A MORE COMPLEX NECK RESPONSE IS REQUIRED IN THIS APPLICATION, AND AUTOMOTIVE ANTHROPOMORPHIC DUMMINES CANNOT BE EXPECTED TO SIMULATE HUMAN-LIKE RESPONSE UNDER THESE CONDITIONS. IT IS PROPOSED THAT A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION BE MADE INTO THE ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF THE HUMAN NECK AND THAT ITS REQUIRED RESPONSE IN ALL AXES AND DIRECTIONS BE DETERMINED. FROM THIS, THE DESIRED PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF AN IMPROVED NECK WOULD BE DEFINED. CONCEPTS COULD THEN BE DEVELOPED FOR DESIGNING AND IMPROVED NECK WHICH WOULD PROVIDE THE DESIRED PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS AND BE ADAPTABLE TO EXISTING TEST MANIKINS. FINALLY, THE CONCEPTS WOULD BE EVALUATED TO IDENTIFY THE ONE MOST LIKELY TO RESULT IN A SUCCESSFUL DESIGN.