Active muscle response using feedback control of a finite element human arm model

Abstract

Mathematical human body models (HBMs) are important research tools that are used to study the human response in car crash situations. Development of automotive safety systems requires the implementation of active muscle response in HBM, as novel safety systems also interact with vehicle occupants in the pre-crash phase. In this study, active muscle response was implemented using feedback control of a nonlinear muscle model in the right upper extremity of a finite element (FE) HBM. Hill-type line muscle elements were added, and the active and passive properties were assessed. Volunteer tests with low impact loading resulting in elbow flexion motions were performed. Simulations of posture maintenance in a gravity field and the volunteer tests were successfully conducted. It was concluded that feedback control of a nonlinear musculoskeletal model can be used to obtain posture maintenance and human-like reflexive responses in an FE HBM.

Keywords:

• finite element
• human body model
• active muscle
• feedback control
• posture maintenance
• upper extremity

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by SAFER, the Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre at Chalmers, as part of the project B8: Development of Active HBM in Frontal Impact Situations. The authors would like to thank Dr Erwin de Vlugt, Debbie Smans, Koen van de Poll and Nienke van Hameren, at Delft Technical University, for their assistance with the volunteer experiments; Prof. Jac Wismans and Dr Johan Davidsson, at Chalmers University of Technology, for their ideas and support; Dr Thomas Borrvall, at Engineering Research Nordic AB, for the valuable help with the user control subroutine in the LS-DYNA^® object version.

Notes

1. Email: [email protected]

2. Email: [email protected]

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Karin Brolin

1

Riender Happee

2