Human kinematics during non-collinear low velocity rear end collisions.

Non-collinear low velocity rear end (LVRE) collision human kinematics have not previously been studied. Occupant head and neck motions during twenty similar non-collinear (15 and 30 degree angle) left rear end collisions were analyzed for five male test subjects alternately positioned in the left and right front seats of the struck vehicle. Displacement-time and acceleration data for occupant, seat, and vehicles were determined by 3D motion analyses and linear accelerometer outputs.

A new source for vestibular illusions in high agility aircraft.

The enhanced maneuverability aircraft of the future will expose pilots to combinations of conventional translational accelerations as well as extraordinary angular accelerations. This flight regime, combined with the intense concentration required for combat maneuvering, will make motion-induced illusions more perilous than in existing aircraft. Although there are many causes for disorientation, theoretical analysis indicates two in particular, the "G-excess" and "cross-coupling" illusions, may be invoked by a new and distinctly different stimulus.

Assessing neck extension-flexion as a basis for temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

In the August 1987 issue of the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Weinberg and LaPointe published an article entitled "Cervical Extension-Flexion Injury (Whiplash) and Internal Derangement of the Temporomandibular Joint" in which they proposed an explantation for injury to the temporomandibular joint resulting from certain motor vehicle accidents. In this article, the previous mechanism is assessed and the authors conclude that it is inaccurate.

Centrifuges for studying the effects of sustained acceleration on human physiology.

The operation, development, and use of high-performance centrifuges with high G-onset rates, similar to those found in modern fighter aircraft, are discussed. Their performance characteristics are examined, and the USAFSAM centrifuge at Brooks AFB in Texas is then described. Centrifuges for space research and large-radius track centrifuges are considered.

A perspective on human performance as the limiting factor in aircraft performance.

The popular notion appears to be growing that the human is the limiting factor in aircraft performance. Proponents cite recent instances of pilot loss of consciousness during maneuvers. The aerospace medicine perspective differs, seeing the aircraft not as a vehicle in which to make hard turns, but as a mission-directed weapon system for which the pilot is the enabling factor.