Force Anticipation and Its Potential Implications on Feedforward and Feedback Human Motor Control.

Objective: To investigate the effects of human force anticipation, we conducted an experimental load-pushing task with diverse combinations of informed and actual loading weights.

Background: Human motor control tends to rely upon the anticipated workload to plan the force to exert, particularly in fast tasks such as pushing objects in less than 1 s. The motion and force responses in such tasks may depend on the anticipated resistive forces, based on a learning process.

Muscle Synergy-Driven Robust Motion Control.

Humans are able to robustly maintain desired motion and posture under dynamically changing circumstances, including novel conditions. To accomplish this, the brain needs to optimize the synergistic control between muscles against external dynamic factors. However, previous related studies have usually simplified the control of multiple muscles using two opposing muscles, which are minimum actuators to simulate linear feedback control.

Development and validation of THUMS version 5 with 1D muscle models for active and passive automotive safety research.

Accurately predicting the occupant kinematics is critical to better understand the injury mechanisms during an automotive crash event. The objectives of this study were to develop and validate a finite element (FE) model of the human body integrated with an active muscle model called Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS) version 5, which has the body size of the 50th percentile American adult male (AM50). This model is characterized by being able to generate a force owing to muscle tone and to predict the occupant response during an automotive crash event.

Development and Validation of the Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS) Toward Further Understanding of Occupant Injury Mechanisms in Precrash and During Crash.

Objective: Active safety devices such as automatic emergency brake (AEB) and precrash seat belt have the potential to accomplish further reduction in the number of the fatalities due to automotive accidents. However, their effectiveness should be investigated by more accurate estimations of their interaction with human bodies. Computational human body models are suitable for investigation, especially considering muscular tone effects on occupant motions and injury outcomes.

Development of a human body finite element model with multiple muscles and their controller for estimating occupant motions and impact responses in frontal crash situations.

A few reports suggest differences in injury outcomes between cadaver tests and real-world accidents under almost similar conditions. This study hypothesized that muscle activity could primarily cause the differences, and then developed a human body finite element (FE) model with individual muscles. Each muscle was modeled as a hybrid model of bar elements with active properties and solid elements with passive properties.

Mild traumatic brain injury predictors based on angular accelerations during impacts.

Although Head Injury Criterion (HIC) is an effective criterion for head injuries caused by linear acceleration such as skull fractures, no criteria for head injuries caused by rotational kinematics has been accepted as effective so far. This study proposed two criteria based on angular accelerations for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), which we call Rotational Injury Criterion (RIC) and Power Rotational Head Injury Criterion (PRHIC). Concussive and non-concussive head acceleration data obtained from football head impacts were utilized to develop new injury criteria.

Effects of body weight, height, and rib cage area moment of inertia on blunt chest impact response.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of body weight, height, and rib cage area moment of inertia on human chest impact responses in frontal pendulum impacts.

Methods: A series of parametric studies was conducted with 11 cases of finite element (FE) analysis using a commercially available three-dimensional (3-D) FE model of the whole human body, Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS). Selected parameters in this study were body weight, height, and area moment of inertia of the rib cage and of the ribs alone.

Investigation of anteroposterior head-neck responses during severe frontal impacts using a brain-spinal cord complex FE model.

Injuries of the human brain and spinal cord associated with the central nervous system (CNS) are seen in automotive accidents. CNS injuries are generally categorized into severe injuries (AIS 3+). However, it is not clear how the restraint conditions affect the CNS injuries.

Development of a Three-Dimensional Finite Element Chest Model for the 5(th) Percentile Female.

Several three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models of the human body have been developed to elucidate injury mechanisms due to automotive crashes. However, these models are mainly focused on 50(th) percentile male. As a first step towards a better understanding of injury biomechanics in the small female, a 3D FE model of a 5(th) percentile female human chest (FEM-5F) has been developed and validated against experimental data obtained from two sets of frontal impact, one set of lateral impact, two sets of oblique impact and a series of ballistic impacts.

Effect of assumed stiffness and mass density on the impact response of the human chest using a three-dimensional FE model of the human body.

The mass density, Young's modulus (E), tangent modulus (Et), and yield stress (sigma y) of the human ribs, sternum, internal organs, and muscles play important roles when determining impact responses of the chest associated with pendulum impact. A series of parametric studies was conducted using a commercially available three-dimensional finite element (FE) model, Total HUman Model for Safety (THUMS) of the whole human body, to determine the effect of changing these material properties on the predicted impact force, chest deflection, and the number of rib fractures and fractured ribs. Results from this parametric study indicate that the initial chest apparent stiffness was mainly influenced by the stiffness and mass density of the superficial muscles covering the torso.