Adaptive seat to reduce neck injuries for female and male occupants
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Mission
The overall objective of the EC-funded research project ADSEAT is to improve seat design for reducing whiplash injury. Focus is set on innovative adaptive seat design that can be adjusted to provide benefit for both male and female occupants.
To consider the latter group, the influence of gender and additional factors on whiplash injury risk will be established.
Background and work envisaged
The focus of ADSEAT is on whiplash associated disorders (WAD) also called whiplash injuries. These injuries are mainly sustained in vehicle crashes. |
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Despite several approaches that were undertaken to reduce the incidence rate, whiplash injuries are still the most commonly reported injuries in motor vehicle crashes. The associated socio-economic impact of these injures is significant. Consequently these injuries represent a major burden for European society.
Anti-whiplash systems for passenger vehicles that are on the market today can reduce the injury risk. However, recent evaluations have shown that it is basically males that benefit from such seats equipped with anti-whiplash systems. Such a result is unsatisfactory since females are the portion of the population with the highest risk of whiplash injuries (i.e. according to literature the injury risk for females is up to twice as high as for males). Consequently enforced efforts have to be undertaken to reduce the injury risk for females.
ADSEAT aims at advancing seat design to reduce whiplash injury in general, but with special emphasis on adaptive seat systems. It is to be ensured that such systems are of benefit for both male and female vehicle occupants. Bearing in mind that until today, biomechanics research of whiplash injury was predominantly addressing the injury risk of males, ADSEAT will particularly need to extend this knowledge by also considering aspects of female occupants. Furthermore, tools necessary for the design process and the assessment of a new design will be developed. This includes a concept for a suitable dummy as well as appropriate injury criteria. Such developments are important with respect to seat design, but also in the scope of performance testing (e.g. as suggested by EuroNCAP). Thus ADSEAT will prepare a basis and make first suggestions for future harmonization and standardization efforts. To demonstrate the significant potential for whiplash protection, an improved seat design will be established.
The project started in October 2009 and will be completed in 2013.