Multibody system modelling of unmanned aircraft system collisions with the human head

Abstract

Understanding the impact severity of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) collisions with the human body remains a challenge and is essential to the development of safe UAS operations. Complementary to performing experiments of UAS collisions with a crash dummy, a computational impact model is needed in order to capture the large variety of UAS types and impact scenarios. This article presents the development of a multibody system (MBS) model of a collision of one specific UAS type with the human body as well with a crash dummy. This specific UAS type has been chosen because data from experimental drop tests on a crash dummy is available. This allows the validation of the MBS model of UAS impacting a crash dummy versus experimental data. The validation shows that the MBS model closely matches experimental UAS drop tests on a crash dummy. Subsequently, the validated UAS MBS model is applied to predict human body injury using a biomechanical human body model. Head and neck injury from the frontal, side and rear impact on the human head are predicted at various elevation angles and impact velocities. The results show that neck injury is not a concern for this specific UAS type, but a serious head injury is probable.

Modelling head injury due to unmanned aircraft systems collision: Crash dummy vs human body

“…The previous Section assessed differences in injury levels of the Hybrid III dummy relative to the human body due to various DJI Phantom III UAS collisions. To accomplish this validated multibody system (MBS) models of DJI Phantom III UAS collisions with a Hybrid III dummy and with a human body have been implemented in MADYMO 11 . The MBS modelling technique allows fast simulation time with accurate results and can capture accurately the overall kinematics of the system.…”

“…The UAS chosen for this study was the DJI Phantom III with a take-off weight (W 0 ) of 1.28 kg. For this specific UAS, a multibody system (MBS) model shown in Figure 1 has been developed and validated in previous research [11]. For the validation, the simulation results obtained from this MBS model of a DJI Phantom III colliding with a Hybrid IIII dummy have been compared to the crash test data obtained by the ASSURE research group [4].…”

Modelling Head Injury due to Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collision: Crash Dummy vs Human Body

“…This research examined the difference in injury level between the Hybrid III crash dummy and the human body due to UAS collisions. A multibody system (MBS) model of the DJI Phantom III UAS is implemented to simulate collisions on the Hybrid III crash dummy and the human body models in MADYMO 9 . The MBS modelling technique allows fast simulation time with accurate results comparing to the finite element modelling technique and can capture accurately the overall kinematics of the system.…”

“…A typical UAS model chosen for this study was the DJI Phantom III UAS with a take-off weight ( 0 ) of 1.28 kg. For this UAS model, a multibody system (MBS) model, as shown in Figure 1, was developed and validated 9 . The MBS UAS model was validated for an impact case on the Hybrid III crash dummy using the crash test data from the ASSURE research group.…”

“…UAS model for impact modelling: (a) a real-world system and (b) DJI Phantom III Standard multibody system model developed in MADYMO by the author 9. The two landing skids are neglected in the model since they are not in contact with the human head in impact cases that are investigated.…”