Pedestrian-ground contact injury protection method under the constraint of the vehicle-front end shape and its robust analysis

Abstract

This research paper introduces a novel approach for protecting pedestrians from ground contact injuries through incorporating vehicle front-end shape constraints in the braking control method. The feasibility of the proposed method is evaluated through simulations, and its resilience to different disturbances is studied. Results indicate that the proposed method effectively manages vehicle movement by monitoring the first head-vehicle contact time (t₁) between the pedestrian’s head and the vehicle. The simulations show that the proposed method reduces ground-related Weighted Injury Cost (WIC) by up to 84%, and the proportion of ‘safe’ mechanisms increases to 74%. The robustness of the braking control method is also evidenced by its high performance during disturbances such as changes in friction coefficient, lag time, and t₁. Furthermore, the anti-disturbance abilities of each vehicle shape are comparable except for t₁ disturbance. There are no significant variations in the braking control protection effect between different friction coefficients and each t₁, but noticeable differences exist between lag times. Further analysis reveals that parameter disturbances affect the deceleration of the vehicle and the impact speed of the pedestrian and vehicle, leading to changes in the _Vz (Vertical head-to-ground impact velocity), thorax acceleration, pelvic lateral impact force, and knee lateral bending angle, which subsequently increases the risk of pedestrian ground contact injuries. The proposed method offers an efficient solution for protecting pedestrians from ground contact injuries by controlling vehicle braking, highlighting its practical utility.

Keywords:

• Automobile engineering
• pedestrian ground contact injury
• controlled vehicle braking
• vehicle front end shape
• comparison

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [51775056], the Natural Science Foundation of Changsha [kq2208225], the Changsha University of Science and Technology Postgraduate Research Innovation Project [QL20230206] and the Key Project of Education Department of Hunan Province [22A0236].