Introduction: Concussions in American Football are of a major concern due to highly reported injury rates. The importance of properly designed helmets have shown effect in reducing the risk of injuries, such as skull fractures. However, they are not as effective in reducing the risk of concussion. Helmets designed are required to pass standards and regulations for them to be allowed within the football leagues. The current test methods evaluate linear impacts, but lack evaluations of oblique impacts which are believed to cause concussions. Several test methods have been suggested, but little is known regarding how they compare. Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare three different test methods for evaluating helmet performance, utilizing finite element simulation. Three different helmet models were used for comparison, evaluating head kinematics. The helmet models were additionally ranked from best to worst based on their performances. Method: Three test methods, linear impactor, 45° angled linear impactor, and a drop test onto a 45° angled plate were simulated with three different open source helmet models. Simulations were conducted with one impact velocity at three impact locations. The influence of the interaction between helmet and head was also evaluated by altering the friction coefficient. Results: The test methods showed different results depending on helmet models, impact locations, and kinematics evaluated. Similarly, rankings of the helmets were varied based on methods and impact location. Little difference was observed after lowering the friction coefficient in majority of cases. The linear and angular acceleration for the drop side impact were mostly affected. Conclusion: Further evaluations of the test methods and comparison to real impacts is required to evaluate what method resembles head impacts best. Lowered friction coefficient had an effect for the drop impacts, but minor effect for other test methods

Doctor of Philosophy / Startups can and do fail. For an entrepreneur, product developer, or researcher with a physical and capital-intensive product idea, this dissertation can serve as a resource to bridge the gaps between business, engineering, and design and reduce the risk of failure when trying to create a startup. The process described in this dissertation describes how to evaluate the key elements of an idea and conduct a series of interviews with potential customers to find evidence that supports pursing that idea further, challenge the startup team to change some aspect of the idea, or drop it altogether. Once the startup team has found a problem, as well as a solution to that problem, this dissertation describes an approach creating that solution. Then this dissertation describes an approach for critically evaluating the foundational elements of the problem and the solution. The goal for a critical evaluation is to identify additional foundational elements which relate to the product that may increase its value or decrease the risk of product failure.

Athletes competing in contact sports commonly wear intra-oral dental mouthguards. Data are sparse concerning the influence of a mouthguard on breathing during exercise. We compared VE and VO2 during submaximal and maximal exercise on a skating treadmill (TM) while wearing an intra-oral dental mouthguard. Female varsity hockey players (n = 12) performed two skating tests on a TM with and without a mouthguard (WIPSS Jaw-Joint Protecto(TM)). The players wore the mouthguard during hockey practices prior to collection of ventilation data on the treadmill. Also, the players completed a questionnaire that examined their perceptions of the mouthguard in terms of ventilation, comfort and performance. A 10-point rating scale was used for this evaluation. Two performance tests on the skating treadmill examined the effect of the mouthguard on submaximal and maximal aerobic exercise. The subjects skated for 4 min at 2 submaximal velocities (14 and 16 km·h-1 ) separated by 5 min of passive recovery. A VO2 max test followed the submaximal tests and commenced at 18 km·h-1 with the velocity increasing by 1 km·h-1 every minute until volitional fatigue. VE, VO2, VCO 2 and RER were analyzed using a Sensor Medics 2900 metabolic cart. Two-way (2 conditions x 3 velocities) repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine differences in VE, VO2 and HR. Ventilation was unchanged when skating at the two submaximal velocities. VO2 max was 48.8 ml·kg-1·min-1 using the intra-oral mouthguard and was 52.4 ml·kg-1·min -1 without a mouthguard. VE max was 108.5 L·min -1 using the intra-oral mouthguard and was 114.1 L·min -1 without a mouthguard. The results showed that VE max and VO2 max were lower using the mouthguard compared to the no mouthguard condition.

[EN] Predicting thermal comfort perceived during wearing protective clothing is important especially for the head as it is one of the most sensitive body parts to heat. Since helmets typically induce an additional thermal insulation that impairs the heat dissipation from the head, a special attention should be drawn to a heat strain leading to a decrease of the cognitive performance and to adverse health effects. Thermal manikins allow systematic analysis of the heat and mass transfer properties of protective clothing. However, this methodology does not provide sufficient information about the local and the whole body human physiological response in different cases of use. The prediction of the physiological state of the body is provided by a thermophysiological model. However, they are not capable of accounting for complex heat and mass exchange processes at the skin surface when the clothing is worn. Thermal devices could measure the overall effect of these processes when wearing the given actual gear and being exposed to the surrounding environment. Several attempts to couple thermal manikins with physiological models have been undertaken, however, the partial coupling of a body part manikin with a physiological model has not been addressed so far. Hence, the aim of this work was to develop a novel thermophysiological human head simulator for headgear evaluation based on the coupling of a thermal head manikin with a thermophysiological model. This method would be able to realistically reproduce the effect of clothing on the heat and mass transfer from the head's skin to the environment. A thermal head manikin with a dedicated segmentation for headgear testing was evaluated for the thermophysiological human head simulator. This head manikin showed consistent when compared to previously published data of a less segmented head manikin and the more detailed investigation of the local heat transfer at head brought additional information regarding the contribution of the local design characteristics of the headgear to the overall heat exchange. The thermal head manikin was evaluated in the most demanding scenarios according to the human physiology. It was possible to consistently define four head parts, namely, forehead, cranial, face and neck parts. When heterogeneous surface temperature distribution was applied on the head manikin, the gradients between head parts could compromise the precision of skin temperature prediction at forehead and face. The passive heating and cooling responsiveness of the head manikin did not present any limitation for simulating sudden temperature step changes. However, when the manikin heating and cooling processes were modulated by the PI control with default settings, the time needed to reach the temperature set point was larger than the time required by the human physiology. The thermophysiological model was validated for prediction of global and local skin temperatures by comparing simulations against human experimental data in a wide range of conditions. The physiological model showed a good precision in general when predicting core and mean skin temperature. A reduced precision was observed for some local skin temperatures. Finally, the thermal head manikin and the physiological model were coupled to build up the thermophysiological head simulator. The comparison of the prediction of the coupled system with human experimental data in several scenarios showed a good agreement for rectal and mean skin temperatures. However, some greater discrepancy was observed for forehead temperature in exposures in which participants were exercising in warm environments. The representation of the human sweat evaporation could be affected by a reduced evaporation efficiency and manikin sweat dynamics. The industry will benefit from this thermophysiological human head simulator, which will lead to the development of helmet designs with enhanced thermal comfort, and therefore, with higher acceptance by users / [ES] Poder predecir el confort térmico durante el uso de indumentaria de protección es muy relevante especialmente en el caso de la cabeza, ya que es una de las partes más sensibles del cuerpo al calor. Los cascos y otros elementos de protección frente a impactos incorporan un aislamiento adicional que di-ficulta la disipación de calor en la cabeza. Los maniquís térmicos permiten analizar de manera sistemática las propiedades de transferencia de calor y humedad de la indumentaria de protección. Sin embargo, esta metodología no permite inferir la respuesta fisiológica del usuario cuando utiliza la prenda. Existen modelos termofisiológicos que permiten predecir la respuesta térmica humana pero presentan algunas limitaciones cuando se representan los procesos de transferencia de calor y humedad a través de la ropa. En este caso, un maniquí térmico podría cuantificar el intercambio real de calor que se pro-duce con el ambiente térmico cuando se viste una determinada prenda. Existen experiencias en las que un maniquí de cuerpo completo ha sido acoplado con un modelo termofisiológico. Sin embargo, el acoplamiento de un maniquí que representa únicamente una parte del cuerpo con un modelo de la fisiología humana no ha sido llevado a cabo hasta ahora. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo ha sido desarrollar una nueva metodología para evaluar cascos y equipos de protección para la cabeza basándose en el acoplamiento de un maniquí térmico de cabeza con un modelo fisiológico. Un maniquí térmico de cabeza ha sido evaluado para ser acoplado con un modelo termofisiológico. Sus medidas fueron consistentes con resultados anteriormente publicados realizados con un maniquí en menos seccionado. Este nuevo maniquí introdujo información adicional sobre la contribución en particular de las distintas características de diseño del casco al intercambio de calor global. El maniquí térmico de cabeza fue evaluado en los escenarios más extremos identificados para la fisiología humana. Se pudo identificar cuatro partes en el sistema acoplado, frente, cráneo, cara y cuello. En el caso de simular una distribución heterogénea de temperatura, los gradientes generados entre las diferentes partes podrían comprometer la precisión en la predicción de la temperatura de la piel en la frente y la cara. La capacidad pasiva de calentamiento y enfriamiento del maniquí de cabeza no supuso ninguna limitación para simular los cambios súbitos de temperatura de la piel pero cuando el control PI del maniquí moduló los procesos de calentamiento y enfriamiento, el tiempo necesario para alcanzar la temperatura de consigna fue mayor que el tiempo de reacción observado en la fisiología humana. Las predicciones de temperatura obtenidas con el modelo de la fisiología humana fueron validadas mediante la comparación con datos humanos experimentales. En general, el modelo mostró buena precisión para la predicción de la temperatura interna y la temperatura media de la piel. Sin embargo, la precisión observada fue menor para la predicción de algunas temperaturas locales. El maniquí térmico de cabeza y el modelo termofisiológico fueron acoplados. La comparación de las predicciones del sistema acoplado con datos humanos experimentales en diferentes escenarios mostró concordancia para la temperatura rectal y media de la piel. No obstante, se observó una mayor discrepancia en la predicción de la temperatura de la frente si se comparaba las simulaciones obtenidas con el modelo por sí solo y con el sistema acoplado en escenarios en los que los participantes realizaban actividad física ambientes cálidos. La representación de la evaporación del sudor humano en el sistema acoplado podría estar condicionada por una menor eficiencia en la evaporación y la respuesta dinámica de la sudoración del maniquí. La industria se podrá beneficiar de este sistema para avanzar en el desarrollo de nuevos productos que proporcionen / [CAT] Poder predir el confort tèrmic durant l'ús d'indumentària de protecció es especialment rellevant en el cas del cap, ja que és una de les parts més sensibles del cos a la calor. Els cascs incorporen un aïllament adicional que dificulta la dissipació de la calor al cap. Aquest fet és particularment dramàtic quan l'estrès tèrmic afecta negativament a la funció cognitiva i té efectes negatius sobre la salut. Els maniquins tèrmics permeten analitzar de manera sistemàtica les propietats tèrmiques de la indumentària de protecció. No obstant, aquesta metodologia no permet inferir la resposta fisiològica de l'usuari quan utilitza la indumentària. En l'actualitat existixen models matemàtics que permeten predir l'estat fisiològic del cos humà però presenten algunes limitacions quan es tracta de simular els complexos processos de transferència de calor i humitat que ocorren amb roba. En aquest cas, un maniquí tèrmic podria quantificar l'intercanvi real de calor que es produïx en l'ambient tèrmic quan es porta una determinada roba. Existixen experiències prèvies en les que un maniquí de cos complet ha sigut acoblat en un model de la fisiologia humana. No obstant, l'acoblament d'un maniquí que representa únicament una part del cos en un model de la fisiologia humana no ha sigut dut a terme fins ara. Per tant, l'objectiu d'aquest treball es desenvolupar una nova metodologia per a evaluar cascs i indumentària de protecció per al cap basada en l'acoblament d'un maniquí tèrmic de cap amb un model fisiològic. Un maniquí tèrmic de cap ha sigut valorat per a ser acoplat en un model de la fisiologia humana. Les mesures del maniquí van ser consistents amb els resultats publicats en maniquís menys seccionats. Aquest maniquí tèrmic de cap introduix informació adicional sobre la contribució particular de les dife-rents característiques del disseny dels cascs a l'intercanvi de calor global. El maniquí tèrmic de cap ha sigut valorat en els escenaris més extrems identificats per la fisiologia hu-mana. Es van poder identificar quatre parts al sistema acoblat, front, crani, cara i coll. En el cas de simular una distribució heterogènia de temperatura en la superfície del maniquí de cap, els gradients generats entre les diferents parts podria comprometre la precisió en la predicció de la temperatura de la pell en el front i la cara. La capacitat passiva de calfament i refredament del maniquí de cap no va suposar ninguna limitació per simular els canvis sobtats de temperatura de la pell observats en la fisiologia humana. No obstant, quant el control PI del maniquí modulà els processos de calfament i refredament, el temps necessari per alcançar la temperatura de consigna va ser major que el temps de reacció observat en la fisiologia humana. Les prediccions de temperatura obtingudes en el model de la fisiologia humana previst per formar part del sistema acoblat van ser validades amb dades humanes experimentals. En general, el model va mostrar una bona precisió en la predicció de la temperatura interna i la temperatura mitjana de la pell. No obstant, la precisió va ser menor en la predicció de las temperaturas locals. El maniquí tèrmic de cap i el model de la fisiologia humana van ser acoblats. La comparació de les prediccions del sistema acoblat amb dades humanes experimentals mostraren concordança en el cas de la temperatura rectal i mitjana de la pell. No obstant, s'observà una major discrepància en la predicció de la temperatura del front quant es comparaven les simulacions obtingudes en el model per sí mateix i el sistema acoblat en escenaris en els quals els participants realitzaven activitat física en am-bients càlids. La representació de l'evaporament del suor humà en el sistema acoblat podria estar con-dicionada per una menor eficiència en l'evaporament. La indústria es podra beneficiar d'aquest sistema per a avançar en el desenvolupament de nous productes que proporcione / Martínez Guillamón, N. (2016). Multi-sector thermophysiological head simulator for headgear research [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/61487 / TESIS

No description available.

Sports engineering can be considered as the bridge between the knowledge of sports science and the principles of engineering and has an important role not only in improving the athletic performance, but also in increasing the safety of the athletes. Testing and optimization of sports equipment and athletic performance are essential for supporting athletes in their quest to reach the podium. However, most of the equipment used by world-class athletes is chosen based only on subjective tests and the athletes’ feelings. Consequently, one of the aims of this thesis was to combine mechanics and mathematics to develop new objective test methods for sports equipment. Another objective was to investigate the possibility to accurately track and analyse cross-country skiing performance by using a real-time locating system. A long term aim is the contribution to increased knowledge about objective test and analysis methods in sports. The main methodological advancements are the modification of established test methods for sports equipment and the implementation of spline-interpolated measured positioning data to evaluate cross-country skiing performance. The first two papers show that it is possible to design objective yet sport specific test methods for different sports equipment. New test devices and methodologies are proposed for alpine ski helmets and cross-country ski poles. The third paper gives suggestions for improved test setups and theoretical simulations are introduced for glide tests of skis. It is shown, it the fourth paper, that data from a real-time locating system in combination with a spline model offers considerable potential for performance analysis in cross-country sprint skiing. In the last paper, for the first time, propulsive power during a cross-country sprint skiing race is estimated by applying a power balance model to spline-interpolated measured positioning data, enabling in-depth analyses of power output and pacing strategies in cross-country skiing. Even though it has not been a first priority aim in this work, the results from the first two papers have been used by manufacturers to design new helmets with increased safety properties and cross-country ski poles with increased force transfer properties. In summary, the results of this thesis demonstrate the feasibility of using mechanics and mathematics to increase the objectiveness and relevance when analysing sports equipment and athletic performance. / <p>QC 20160927</p>

The requirement to operate vehicles in low light and/or night environments whilst wearing night vision goggle (NVG) systems has become increasingly common during military operations. There is very limited research investigating injury risks associated with these systems during ground vehicle collisions. This study examined the injury risks associated with wearing the Australian Defence Force - Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) and NVG system, in frontal vehicle collisions. This project consisted of two components: (1) crash tests using a sled and (2) numerical simulations of impacts. Four dynamic sled tests were conducted using a 50th percentile, male, Hybrid III dummy positioned on a rigid seat. Frontal impact tests were performed at a 40 km/h change in velocity (*v) and 20 g deceleration. The test configurations were as follows: (a) Base; (no helmet or additional equipment); (b) ECH; and, (c) ECH and NVG. Condition (c) was carried out twice, to determine repeatability. The sled test protocols were reconstructed precisely with the numerical simulation package MADYMO and the simulations were shown to correlate well with the experimental results. Using this validated model, four parametric studies were undertaken to assess the influence of counterweights, seat cushion, seatbelt pre-tensioner, and the vehicle's *v and acceleration on injury risks. The study found that neck loads were within acceptable limits, with the exception of the neck extension moment, which was exceeded for all NVG conditions. Based on the parametric studies, no major improvements were observed in the neck extension moments with the use of counterweights or a seat cushion. In contrast the use of a seatbelt pre-tensioner was observed to decrease greatly this neck injury risk in certain scenarios. The study also identified that a *v of 15 km/h and peak acceleration of up to 14 g were required to keep the neck extension moment below the prescribed injury criteria. However, the high neck extension moment values may have been partially attributable to the stiff Hybrid III neck. This study identified a possible injury mechanism for soldiers using the ECH and NVG system during specific impact scenarios. The method applied in this project was designed to be repeatable.

The requirement to operate vehicles in low light and/or night environments whilst wearing night vision goggle (NVG) systems has become increasingly common during military operations. There is very limited research investigating injury risks associated with these systems during ground vehicle collisions. This study examined the injury risks associated with wearing the Australian Defence Force - Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH) and NVG system, in frontal vehicle collisions. This project consisted of two components: (1) crash tests using a sled and (2) numerical simulations of impacts. Four dynamic sled tests were conducted using a 50th percentile, male, Hybrid III dummy positioned on a rigid seat. Frontal impact tests were performed at a 40 km/h change in velocity (*v) and 20 g deceleration. The test configurations were as follows: (a) Base; (no helmet or additional equipment); (b) ECH; and, (c) ECH and NVG. Condition (c) was carried out twice, to determine repeatability. The sled test protocols were reconstructed precisely with the numerical simulation package MADYMO and the simulations were shown to correlate well with the experimental results. Using this validated model, four parametric studies were undertaken to assess the influence of counterweights, seat cushion, seatbelt pre-tensioner, and the vehicle's *v and acceleration on injury risks. The study found that neck loads were within acceptable limits, with the exception of the neck extension moment, which was exceeded for all NVG conditions. Based on the parametric studies, no major improvements were observed in the neck extension moments with the use of counterweights or a seat cushion. In contrast the use of a seatbelt pre-tensioner was observed to decrease greatly this neck injury risk in certain scenarios. The study also identified that a *v of 15 km/h and peak acceleration of up to 14 g were required to keep the neck extension moment below the prescribed injury criteria. However, the high neck extension moment values may have been partially attributable to the stiff Hybrid III neck. This study identified a possible injury mechanism for soldiers using the ECH and NVG system during specific impact scenarios. The method applied in this project was designed to be repeatable.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1996.

Introdução: Acidentes com ciclistas podem ser bastante sérios especialmente pela possibilidade de trauma cranioencefálico grave. Métodos: O objetivo desse trabalho foi estimar a prevalência do uso de capacetes por ciclistas nos finais de semana e feriados na cidade de Porto Alegre. Durante os finais de semana e feriados da primavera de 2007, foi realizado um estudo transversal. 969 ciclistas foram incluídos na amostra. Este estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética do Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. Resultados: A prevalência do uso de capacetes pelos ciclistas foi de 5,6% (IC 95% 4,5 a 7,5). Os ciclistas mais jovens (idade ≤ 20 anos) tiveram uma prevalência menor do uso do capacete, quando comparados à observada entre os demais ciclistas (idade > 20 anos), (P< 0,001; 2,1% vs. 7,8%, respectivamente). Discussão: Embora esse estudo tenha sido realizado em fins de semana e feriados, quando se espera que a prevalência do uso do capacete seja maior, nós encontramos somente 5,6% dos ciclistas utilizando esse equipamento de proteção. Medidas educativas e iniciativas que reduzam o preço de tais equipamentos poderiam trazer benefícios consideráveis para a saúde dessa população. / Introduction: Accidents involving cyclists can be very serious, especially due to the possibility of severe traumatic brain injury. Methods: The objective of this work was estimate the prevalence of helmet use among cyclists in weekends and holidays in the city of Porto Alegre. During the spring of 2007 we conducted a cross-sectional study involving 969 cyclists. The survey was carried out during weekends and holidays on 20 randomly distributed observation sites around the city. The Ethics Committee of the Research and Pos-Graduation Group of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre approved this study. Results: The observed prevalence of helmet use was 5.6% (IC 95% 4.5 a 7.5). Younger cyclists (age ≤ 20 years) had a lower prevalence of helmet use than that observed among older cyclists (age > 20 years), (P< 0.001; 2.1% vs. 7.8%, respectively). Discussion: Although this study was carried out on weekends and holidays, when the prevalence of helmet use was expected to be higher, we found only 5.6% of cyclist using this protective device. Educational measures and incentives to reduce the price of such equipment could bring considerable benefits to the safety and health of cyclists in this population.