Ingeniero Civil Industrial / El desarrollo de Proyectos Sociales por parte de las grandes empresas ha venido tomando cada vez más fuerza en Chile. Lo anterior se debe a que las comunidades están cada vez más empoderadas y conscientes de sus derechos, lo que ha generado algunos enfrentamientos entre dichas comunidades y las empresas que realizan sus operaciones en la zona. Estos conflictos entre las empresas y las comunidades traen consigo grandes pérdidas para aquellas debido a que, por un lado, las comunidades impiden su correcto funcionamiento, y por otro, estos conflictos atraen a los medios de comunicación y la opinión pública provocando que las autoridades tomen acción para tratar de solucionarlos. Lo anterior genera más presión sobre las empresas, las cuales se ven obligadas a invertir una mayor cantidad de dinero para poder superar los inconvenientes y volver a obtener la licencia social que les otorga la comunidad para operar en la zona. Anglo American adelantándose a estos posibles acontecimientos negativos ha estado generando y aplicando una serie de herramientas y metodologías para lograr una mejor relación entre la comunidad y la empresa. Entre las herramientas de medición interna destaca la SEAT, la cual le permite a la empresa comparar cada una de sus faenas a nivel mundial en varios aspectos entre los que destacan las iniciativas sociales. También resalta la utilización de la metodología del marco lógico, la cual permite realizar los macro procesos de planificación, ejecución, monitoreo y evaluación de los resultados de la mayoría de los proyectos sociales que se desarrollan durante el año. Sin embargo y a pesar de los esfuerzos mencionados anteriormente, la empresa no está logrando obtener los resultados deseados en algunos de los proyectos sociales que han desarrollado. Esta falta en la obtención de resultados ha sido un tanto desconcertante para la empresa porque han invertido una cantidad considerable de recursos para asegurar un correcto desarrollo de aquellos, lo cual ha generado una preocupación dentro de la empresa, pues el hecho de no cumplir con los objetivos planteados en los proyectos puede ocasionar problemas a mediano y largo plazo con las comunidades, dado que no se está cumpliendo en su totalidad con lo acordado con estas. Ante esta situación es que el presente trabajo tiene como objetivo rediseñar los macro procesos de planificación, ejecución, monitoreo y evaluación de los Proyectos Sociales de la empresa con el fin de obtener una mayor eficiencia en el desempeño de sus actividades y una mayor efectividad en el logro de sus objetivos. Para lograr lo anterior, se iniciará con un diagnóstico de los macro procesos, a partir del cual serán extraídas sus principales fortalezas y debilidades. Luego serán propuestas mejoras para las debilidades detectadas, en donde aquellas estarán basadas en la modificación de algunas herramientas, en el reordenamiento de las labores internas, en la elaboración de indicadores, entre otras. Luego de generar las propuestas, se procederá a realizar una evaluación Ex Ante de estas para ver si son factibles de realizarse en términos del costo y del tiempo requerido para llevarlas a cabo. Una vez concluido este análisis, serán detallados los posibles efectos e impactos que generarían en cada uno de los involucrados, y finalmente será indicada la forma en que estas mejoras deben ser incluidas en cada uno de los procesos; además una agenda será establecida, la cual tendrá la utilidad de estructurar los periodos de tiempo dedicados a cada uno de estos procesos.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Civil Engineering / Sunanda Dissanayake / Seat belt usage is considered to be one of the most effective ways of improving safety of motor vehicle occupants. Thus, increasing seat belt usage among motorists has become one of the top prioritized goals of many highway safety improvement programs. The main objective of this study was to develop a methodology to estimate potential economic benefits associated with increased seat belt usage by Kansas motorists based on conditions prevailing in the State of Kansas. Seat belt effectiveness in reducing injuries was estimated and those values were then used to estimate economic benefits due to injury reductions. Five methodologies were used to estimate seat belt effectiveness which included multiple logistic regression, double pair comparison method, Cox proportional hazards regression, conditional logistic regression, and risk ratio model using estimating equation approach. Crash data from Kansas Accident Reporting System (KARS) database was used. A procedure was developed to estimate economic benefits due to increased seat belt usage based on State conditions. The highest variation in estimated seat belt effectiveness values using different methods were observed for incapacitating injuries while the lowest variation was observed for possible injuries. For fatal injuries, the estimated seat belt effectiveness values ranged from 50-69% for passenger cars and 57-70% for other passenger vehicles. The range of seat belt effectiveness values for incapacitating injuries was 47-65% for passenger cars and 44-69% for other passenger vehicles. It was also found that the multiple logistic regression method provide relatively narrower confidence intervals for almost all the nonfatal injury categories in both vehicle groups. Based on estimations using logistic regression method, seat belts are 56% effective in preventing fatal injuries in passenger cars and 61% effective in other passenger vehicles. The seat belt effectiveness in reducing incapacitating injuries was found to be 53% in passenger cars and 52% in other passenger vehicles. It was found that if seat belt usage rate in Kansas reaches the national average rate of 81% (2006), the resulted annual economic benefits to the State is estimated to be about $ 191 millions in 2006 dollars or in other words, due to lower seat belt usage currently observed in Kansas compared to national usage level, the annual estimated economic loss is about $ 191 millions. Seat belt effectiveness values are currently not available based on KABCO (K-Fatal, A-Incapacitating, B-Non-incapacitating, C-Possible, and O-No injuries) injury scale. Therefore, this study could serve as an initiative towards establishing a procedure to estimate benefits of seat belt usage based on State highway crash data.

In this thesis work, generated design concepts during previous thesis work performed by Doroftei Teodor and Osorio Omar. in 2013 for an operator seat for forestry machines, have been examined. This examination was made in order to design a full-scale prototype of an operator seat featuring active suspension. With the help of this analysis, a proposal for a prototype, which decreases the effects on the operator caused by vibrations in the cabin, was developed. By damping the vibrations in the operator seat, the operator is not exposed to in-time harmful injuries and can therefore work for a longer time. With an actively suspended operator seat, new ways open up for a more effective forestry industry as the work becomes more convenient for the operator. This report presents how the work was performed. The first chapters of the report concern the background for the work, the components and subassemblies of the previous generated design concepts as well as standard components needed in order to realize an active operator seat suspension. Then, the most applicable concept is further developed to a full-scale prototype using CAD-modelling and evaluated using FEM-analysis. Based on the CAD-models, a prototype was manufactured, the vibration control is discussed and conclusions and proposals for future work are presented. Keywords: Operator, seat, active, suspension, pneumatic / I det här examensarbetet har designkoncept för en aktivt dämpad operatörstol för skogmaskiner, framtagna av Doroftei T & Osario O under tidigare examensarbete som ägt rum år 2013, analyserats för att därefter resultera i en prototyp. Med hjälp av dessa analyser har ett förslag utformats i form av en prototyp som minskar påfrestningarna hos maskinoperatören orsakade av vibrationer i hytten. Genom att dämpa vibrationerna i operatörstolen, utsätts inte operatören för skadliga påfrestningar och kan därmed arbeta längre. Med en aktivt dämpad operatörstol öppnas nya möjligheter för en effektivare skogindustri då arbetet blir bekvämare och mindre påfrestande för operatören. I den här rapporten redogörs hur arbetet gått tillväga. Rapporten inleds med bakgrunden till examensarbetet, uppbyggnaden av de tidigare framtagna designkoncepten samt nödvändiga standardkomponenter för att aktivt kunna dämpa operatörstolsvibrationerna. Därefter presenteras det mest tillämpbara konceptet som i sin tur utvecklas till en fullskalig prototyp med hjälp CAD-modellering och utvärderas med hjälp av FEM-analyser. Baserat på de CAD-modeller som tagits fram, tillverkas en fullskalig prototyp, därefter diskuteras den aktiva regleringen. Rapporten avslutas sedan med slutsatser och förslag på framtida arbete. Sökord: Operatör, stol, aktiv dämpning, pneumatik

The main objective of this study was to investigate factors on dynamic load-deflection properties of seat foundations and pressure distributions between a human subject and a seat. The study was divided into three major parts: impact loads on seat foundations, factors on dynamic load-deflection properties of seat foundations, and body mass transfer during human subjects’ stand-to-sit movement. Results of this study indicated that the normal sitting-down speed averaged 16.3 cm/s, and hard sitting-down speed varied from 71 to 84 cm/s which can be considered as a free human body drop speed for seat foundations with panel base and foam, flat spring base and foam. Recorded peak sitting forces in terms of participants’ body weights averaged 100% and 247% for normal and hard sitting-down motions, respectively. Sitting ride, seat foundation stiffness and maximum pressure under buttocks were considered as parameters to describe human subjects’ sitting experience. Statistical analysis indicated that body weight and foam stiffness had no significant effect on seat foundation stiffness in most case. In general, the stiffness of seat foundation decreased significantly as foam thickness increased from 5 to 10 cm, but the decrease was not significant as foam thickness increased from 10 to 20 cm. For sitting ride, curved spring seat foundation had significantly highest sitting ride, followed by flat spring base, then webbing base and then panel base. Seat base, foam stiffness, foam thickness and human body weight had significant effect on maximum pressure under buttocks, but significant difference dependent on treatment combination. In sitting-down motion, it could be concluded that hard sitting-down time for seat foundation of CF and FF was longer than normal sitting-down, but for seat foundation of PF and P, hard sitting-down time was shorter than normal sitting-down. There are two main phases in sitting-down motion: propulsive impulse and braking impulse. In normal sitting-down motion, averaging mean force weight percentage (FWP) on seat yielded 3% of body weight while averaging mean FWP on feet yield 97% body weight, which means, in normal sitting-down motion, braking impulse occurred before body touching the seat foundation.

An optimal automotive seat backrest angle has not been identified, and currently, no universal method for analyzing sitting discomfort exists. The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify an optimum seat backrest angle or range of angles based on objective and subjective discomfort measures, and (2) evaluate existing methods for analyzing sitting discomfort data. Eight participants (4 male 4 female) completed three, two hour test sessions in a driving simulator. Results showed that subjective and objective measures were moderately correlated. The 120° seat backrest angle (measured from horizontal) resulted in less discomfort than the 105° and 135° seat backrest angles. Time weighted subjective discomfort ratings were the most effective subjective measure of sitting discomfort. Results also indicated that participants were able to identify discomfort differences for few body regions.

This study evaluates and provides solutions to the problem of poor subjective feel of seat suspensions that employ magnetorheological (MR) dampers and skyhook control. An Isringhausen seat suspension that had been modified to replace the stock passive damper with a controllable MR damper was used to evaluate the problems and potential solutions. A seat suspension tester was built using materials from 80/20 Incorporated and a hydraulic actuation system from MTS. An HP Dynamic Signal Analyzer was used as the main piece of data acquisition equipment, along with a Pentium PC and National Instruments Data Acquisition card. All of the hardware is installed in a controlled laboratory facility at Virginia Tech's Advanced Vehicle Dynamics Lab. The first task was to analyze the source of the unexpected peak in the acceleration spectrum of the suspended seat. This analysis was accomplished using a combination of pure tone inputs and a Fourier analysis of a simple model of the system. This analysis indicated that the peak is actually three times the resonant frequency of the seat suspension. The analysis also indicates that the frequency components continue at odd multiples of the resonant frequency, however, the third peak is the most noticeable. The third multiple is in the resonant frequency range (4-8 Hz) of the human body, so it was initially blamed for the poor subjective feel of the seat. However, solutions to remove this harmonic were tested without success. The work progressed to a time domain analysis, which eventually led to determining the source of the poor subjective feel. The seat suspension was excited with a variety of inputs. The seat acceleration and damper control current were examined in the time domain to show that the cause of the poor subjective feel is the control signal discontinuities. The control policy was modified to remove the control signal discontinuities and was found to improve the subjective feel of the seat. Finally, several two-degree-of-freedom control policies were implemented and tested. Although the results from this testing are inconclusive, they generated several recommendations for future research. / Master of Science

This research evaluates the effects of seat back angle and armrest angle on performance of the following variables: (1) static force generation capabilities on an isometric force-stick; (2) lower-body isometric muscle contractions used in anti-gravity straining maneuvers (AGSMs); and (3) tracking performance for a manual tracking task. The purpose of this research is to determine if certain body postures significantly affect force generation, isometric muscle contractions, and tracking error. Subjects perform three different tasks over four experimental sessions. In the first session, subjects generate maximum force on a sidearm isometric force-stick at 18 seat back and armrest combinations (six seat back angles x three armrest angles) in two directions (roll left and roll right). In the next three sessions, subjects perform either a manual tracking task or a manual tracking task concurrent with lower-body isometric muscle contractions at each of the 18 seat back and armrest combinations. The dependent measures used to evaluate performance are stick force, blood pressure, and tracking error. The results indicate the following: (1) static force generation ability is significantly affected by gender, seat back angle, and direction in which the force is applied; (2) 1ower-body isometric muscle contractions used to elevate blood pressure are not significantly affected by seatback angle and armrest angle; and (3) tracking error is significantly affected by seatback angle. Some results are consistent with previous research that found force capabilities are affected by the direction in which force is applied, and that body posture does not affect isometric muscle contractions used to increase blood pressure. However, other results indicate the need for further research to determine the relationship of body posture to isometric muscle contraction used in AGSMs and manual tracking. / Master of Science

Historically, the rear seat has been considered safer compared to the front seat for all restrained occupants; however, studies have found that the front seat in newer vehicles might be safer for older adults than the rear seat. While adults make up only 19% of rear seat occupants in frontal crashes, they make up 48% of fatalities (Tatem and Gabler, 2019). The rate of rear-seat occupancy by adults is expected to increase due to the use of ride share services and the potential of autonomous vehicles. Minimal research has been done to assess rear-seat occupant protection for a mid-sized adult male. Submarining, in which the lap belt slips off of the pelvis and directly loads the abdomen, is of particular concern as a restraint-based injury mechanism of the abdomen. The objective of this study is to investigate submarining protection and abdominal injury risk for rear-seated mid-sized male occupants in frontal crashes and to assess the biofidelity of two anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) with respect to submarining response when compared to post-mortem human surrogates (PMHS). Twenty-four frontal crash sled tests were conducted with the THOR-50M and Hybrid III 50th-percentile male ATDs in three crash conditions and seven modern vehicles. The vehicles included a minivan, an SUV, 3 compact SUVs, and 2 sedans from the US vehicle fleet (model years 2017-2018). Four vehicles had conventional restraints (ie. 3-point belt with retractor at the shoulder) in the rear seat and three vehicles had advanced restraints (ie. 3-point belts with a pretensioner and load limiter at the retractor). Two of the crash conditions were vehicle-specific pulses: NCAP85 (ΔV = 56 kph) and Scaled (ΔV = 32 kph). The final pulse was a Generic (ΔV = 32 kph) pulse, created by averaging all seven Scaled pulses. Matched PMHS tests were conducted on four of the vehicles in the NCAP85 condition. Two tests were conducted for each vehicle with 8 PMHS for a total of 8 sled tests. The occurrence of submarining was identified and assessed for severity by: symmetry of lap belt slip, degree of abdominal loading, and forward excursion of the pelvis. Pelvis and lap-belt kinematics were assessed for the matched NCAP85 tests to identify trends with respect to submarining. Damage to the abdomen, pelvis, and lumbar spine of the PMHS was identified during post-test autopsy. The Hybrid III did not submarine in any test, but the THOR submarined in 16/24 tests. Three PMHS underwent submarining in 2/4 vehicles, and the THOR submarined in 3/4 vehicles in the matched NCAP85 tests. Three PMHS did not undergo submarining but sustained pelvis fractures at lap belt loads of 7.4 kN and higher, and damage to the abdominal viscera occurred regardless of submarining occurrence. Pelvis and lap-belt kinematics revealed the complex nature of the interactions of the occupant and the restraints within each vehicle environment, but did not clearly differentiate between submarining and non-submarining tests. The Hybrid III was not able to predict submarining risk for the PMHS in the rear seat environment. While the THOR underwent submarining, it was not perfect in predicting submarining risk. Pelvis geometry, lap belt engagement, and other factors contributed to the differences in submarining between the two ATDs and the PMHS. Restraint type was not indicative of whether or not the THOR or PMHS would submarine. Many other factors in the rear seat environments of these vehicles likely contribute in combination to the effectiveness of submarining prevention and occupant protection in the rear seat. This study provides information regarding submarining and abdominal injury for three surrogate types, two crash severities, and seven modern, real-world vehicle environments. Ultimately, this study found substantive gaps in occupant protection in the rear seats of modern vehicles for mid-sized adult male occupants. Tatem, W. M., and Gabler, H. C. (2019). Differential fatality risk between rear and front seat passenger vehicle occupants in frontal crashes. In Proceedings of the 2019 International IRCOBI Conference on the Biomechanics of Injury (pp. 554–560). / Doctor of Philosophy / Historically, the rear seat has been considered safer than the front seat for restrained occupants in frontal crashes. However, with advances in safety systems for the front seat, studies have found that the front seat might be safer for older adult occupants. The objective of this study is to investigate submarining protection and abdominal injury risk for rear-seated mid-sized male occupants in frontal crashes. Submarining occurs when the lap belt slips off of the pelvis and directly loads the abdomen, potentially producing severe abdominal injuries. Twenty-four sled tests were conducted with the THOR-50M and Hybrid III 50th-percentile male anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) in three crash conditions and seven modern vehicles. The vehicles selected included a minivan, SUVs, compact SUVs, and sedans from the US vehicle fleet. Three of the vehicles had advanced restraints in the rear seat and four had conventional restraints. The three crash conditions were a generic low speed test and a low and high-speed vehicle-specific crash pulse. Eight tests were conducted with eight different post-mortem human surrogates on a subset of four vehicles (2 with advanced restraints, 2 with conventional restraints) using the high-speed crash condition. The Hybrid III never submarined, but the THOR submarined in 16 out of 24 tests (5 out of 7 vehicles). Three out of eight PMHS submarined, in two of the four vehicles. Three heavier PMHS sustained pelvis fractures, and all but one PMHS had sustained damage to the abdominal viscera. Restraint type was not an indicator of submarining risk in the rear seat, suggesting that other seat and vehicle design variables contribute to submarining risk. Comparison of the responses of the ATDs with the PMHS suggests that the THOR is a more reasonable surrogate than the Hybrid III for submarining assessment in the rear seat. Inclusion of data from other body regions is necessary to make a definitive determination of the appropriate ATD for the assessment of occupant protection for a mid-sized male in the rear seat during frontal crashes. Overall, this study suggests that protection against submarining and injury to the pelvis and abdomen for mid-sized male passengers in the rear seat of modern vehicles in the US fleet could be improved.

Frontal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) account for the majority of injuries and fatalities in MVCs according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting Systems (FARS). One of the most commonly injured regions of the body during MVCs is the thorax. While there are fewer adult passengers riding in the rear seat compared to the front seat, the number of adults in the rear seat may increase dramatically in the near future with the rise of ridesharing services and highly automated vehicles (HAVs). With the increase in exposure for adults riding in the rear seat, the safety of these passengers needs to be evaluated. Previous research has shown that occupant protection in the rear seat is disproportionately lower than that of the front seat in modern vehicles due to the focus on front seat occupants in both regulatory and market-driven crash tests. This has resulted in many of the occupant safety systems, e.g., pretensioners (PT), load limiters (LL), and airbags, being widely available in the front seat, but sparsely available in the rear seat. Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs) have been developed to investigate occupant safety during frontal MVCs and can be utilized in the investigation of rear seat occupant injuries. However, the biofidelity and injury risk criteria used for these ATDs has only been validated when seated in the front seat. To validate the response and injury risk predictions of existing frontal ATDs in the rear seat it is necessary to generate new biomechanical data in the rear seat of modern vehicles. The purpose of this work is to quantify the biomechanical responses of two frontal ATDs, i.e., the Hybrid III and THOR-50M 50th percentile male ATDs, and 50th percentile male post mortem human surrogates (PMHS) seated in the rear seat of modern vehicles, which have various seat geometries and restraint types, during frontal MVCs. Emphasis is placed on comparisons between the thoracic responses of the three human surrogates e.g., thoracic deflection time histories, and thoracic injury risks, i.e., ATD injury risk prediction versus instances of PMHS injuries. A series of twenty-four frontal sled tests were first conducted with the HIII and THOR-50M ATDs seated in the rear seats of seven vehicle test bucks with varying seat geometries and two different restraint types. Three vehicles had advanced restraints while four had conventional restraints. Three different crash pulses were used derived from vehicle specific US New Car Assessment Program frontal crash data: Scaled (32kph), Generic (32kph), and NCAP85 (56kph). Thoracic injury metrics were not exceeded in the lower severity pulses for either ATD but were exceeded during some of the high severity tests. A matched comparison analysis between a front and rear seated Hybrid III 50th percentile male ATD is presented second that highlights the disparities between front and rear seat iii occupant safety of modern vehicles during frontal MVCs. The Hybrid III ATD data were used for this comparison. Thoracic injury risk was found to be higher for the rear seated HIII across all vehicles, while thoracic acceleration was lower in the rear than the front for some vehicles. PMHS thoracic responses and injury risk equations were then evaluated in four of the vehicles used for the ATD tests using the high severity sled pulse, i.e., NCAP85 (56kph). Thoracic acceleration and normalized deflection values were higher in vehicles with conventional restraints, and the location of maximum deflection was always inboard of the sternum. The resulting thoracic injuries ranged from AIS 3 to AIS 5. Additionally, there were a larger average number of rib fractures in vehicles with conventional restraints versus advanced restraints. A multi-point deflection injury risk equation predicted injury the best. However the less censored rib fracture data that were obtained suggest that all three of the injury equations evaluated could be improved. Lastly, the PMHS data were used to assess the similarities in thoracic response between the ATDs and PMHS. An objective rating metric was used for the response comparison. The HIII had a slightly better average score than the THOR-50M; however, the THOR-50M had a more biofidelic kinematic response during the tests. This analysis furthers the understanding of the effect of different occupant protection systems on thoracic injury risk in a rear seat environment and the biofidelity of frontal 50th percentile male ATDs in the rear seat. / Doctor of Philosophy / Frontal motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) account for the majority of injuries and fatalities in MVCs according to the Fatality Analysis Reporting Systems (FARS), a nationwide census of fatal injuries suffered during crashes. One of the most commonly injured regions of the body during MVCs is the thorax i.e. the chest. While there are fewer adult passengers riding in the rear seat compared to the front seat, the number of adults in the rear seat may increase dramatically in the near future with the rise of ridesharing services and in the future, the rise of highly automated vehicles (HAVs commonly called "driverless cars"). The safety of adult rear seat passengers needs to be evaluated due to the potential increase in occupancy rates. Previous research has shown that occupant protection in the rear seat is disproportionately lower than that of the front seat in modern vehicles. This is likely due to the focus on front seat occupants in both regulatory tests and market-driven crash tests such as the New Car Assessment Program and IIHS frontal overlap tests. This has resulted in many of the advanced occupant protection systems being widely available in the front seat, but sparsely available in the rear seat. Anthropomorphic test devices (ATDs), i.e., crash test dummies, have been developed to investigate occupant safety during frontal MVCs and can be utilized in the investigation of rear seat occupant injuries. However, the biofidelity (similarity of ATD response to a human surrogate) and injury risk criteria used for these ATDs has only been validated when seated in the front seat. To validate the thoracic response and injury risk predictions of the existing frontal ATDs when seated in the rear seat it is necessary to generate new biomechanical data in the rear seat of modern vehicles. The purpose of this work is to quantify the thoracic response of two current 50th percentile male frontal impact ATDs, i.e., the Hybrid III and THOR-50M, and similarly sized male post mortem human surrogates (PMHS) seated in the rear seat during a frontal MVC. Several vehicles were used and chosen to represent various seat geometries and restraint types. There are two restraint types in the rear seat within this body of work, conventional and advanced. A conventional restraint consists of a three point seat belt, while an advanced restraint consists of a three point seat belt with additional safety features installed. Emphasis is placed on the injury risk prediction from the ATD versus actual instances of injuries from the PMHS. A series of frontal sled tests were first performed with the Hybrid III and THOR-50M ATDs. Three different crash pulses derived from vehicle specific US New Car Assessment Program frontal crash data were used: Scaled (32kph), Generic (32kph), and NCAP85 (56kph). v These tests showed that the established injury metrics for the two ATDs were exceeded in some of the high severity tests. A matched comparison analysis between a front and rear seated Hybrid III 50th percentile male ATD is presented and highlights the disparities between front and rear seat occupant safety of modern vehicles during frontal MVCs. The thoracic injury risk was found to be higher in the rear compared to the front for all vehicles. A series of frontal sled tests were then performed with the mid-sized male PMHS using the high severity sled pulse (NCAP85) and four of the vehicles from the ATD tests. The thoracic deflections for the PMHS were normalized by the surrogate chest depth in order to compare them between different sized surrogates, and were found to be higher in vehicles with conventional restraints. All PMHS had severity thoracic injuries. Additionally, there were a larger average number of rib fractures in vehicles with conventional restraints versus advanced restraints. Finally, the thoracic response of each ATD was compared to the PMHS to further the understanding of the effect of different occupant protection systems on thoracic injury risk in a rear seat environment and investigate rear seat biofidelity of each ATD. The THOR-50M had a more biofidelic kinematic response, while the Hybrid III matched the PMHS thoracic deflections and accelerations more accurately when compared with an objective rating metric. The comparison between surrogate responses furthers the understanding of 50th percentile male ATD biofidelity, the ATD injury risk prediction capabilities, and effects of different occupant protection systems on thoracic injuries in the rear seat.

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