Biomechanics and Injury Mitigation Systems Program: An Overview of Human Models for Assessing Injury Risk in Blast, Ballistic, and Transportation Impact Scenarios

Warfighter survivability and performance are threatened by blast events, ballistic impacts, and transportation accidents. To design effective injury mitigation strategies, it is critical to understand the nature of the loading event and the manner in which the body responds. APL has developed novel models, both computational and physical, of the human system to measure the body's mechanical response to dynamic loading. These anatomically detailed models have been subjected to live-fire and full-scale tests to determine their durability, repeatability, and sensitivity to loading conditions. Results from initial experiments and simulations have aided in measuring parameters that correlate to injury, determining the effect of personal protective equipment, and providing insights into future injury mitigation strategies. These models are a critical tool in the evaluation and development of personal protective equipment and vehicle safety systems to ultimately reduce the risk of human injury.