Numerical study of frontal collision effects on an occupant’s safety, in autonomous vehicles, with non-standard seating configurations

Abstract

For a long journey, the occupants of highly autonomous vehicles (HAV), with non-standard seating, can communicate easier. The question is… Are non-standard seating configurations as safe as standard seating in a frontal crash? The Virthuman model is used to answer this question. It is a multi-body system (MBS) model that helps run simulations faster, however, it lacks some outputs. A 30 km/h frontal acceleration pulse is applied to HAV’s interior and a program determines injury indexes for Virthuman’s body parts, then returns to simulation’ settings, without considering injuries of the bodies’ internal organs. Living Room seating provides safer conditions for its occupants in a frontal crash.