At ESi, our consultants in the biomechanical group will often utilize MADYMO, a physics-based software suite for analyzing the motions and forces experienced by crash test dummies, in order to simulate the injury risks that an individual would sustain from these types of events.
In this particular example, Amber Stern, Ph.D., P.E., Director of Biomechanics at ESi, showcases how her team was able to simulate a complex motor vehicle crash involving a drunk driver through MADYMO. By inputting the crash pulse data from an accident reconstruction into MADYMO, they were able to accurately simulate the crash to compare the injuries sustained by the unbelted passenger during the actual event to those predicted by their belted model.
As there was not a specific basis for an unbelted and belted comparison for a crash this complex to draw from and recreating a full-scale crash test for this situation was all but impossible, by using MADYMO, Amber and her team were able to collect the data they needed to conclude that the passenger’s injuries would have been far less likely had he been belted at the time of the crash. ESi’s analysis in this case led to a favorable settlement for their client.
