<
Back to Previous Page
New Auto Seat, Would Help Crash Victims Walk Away
CONCORD, Mass. — A West Coast development team has used SolidWorks® software to design and analyze a new seat that could double the safety of cars in head-on collisions. Several car companies and seating manufacturers are presently testing the seat, which operates on the same principle as a porch glider – pendular motion.
American Ergonomics Corp. recently performed an extensive series of crash tests on its Counter-Balanced Motion (“CBM”) seat technology under National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) guidelines. Dummies riding in the seat and wired with sensors were driven into a solid wall at 35 mph. The test results, affirmed by specialized auto crash simulation software, indicated the CBM seat could reduce head injuries by 30 percent and leg injuries by 70 percent, according to the company.
Head-on collisions generally involve two impacts, one when the driver's body slams forward in the cockpit and a second, rearward “whiplash” when the head and neck recoil. The CBM seat mitigates the first impact in a collision by arcing forward a few inches on an upturned rail, tipping the body away from the impact and folding the legs safely away from the floor. The lower back stays safely in contact with the backrest, and the face travels more slowly to impact with the airbag. The seat absorbs the subsequent recoil by sliding back into its original position. The same actions serve everyday comfort by enabling drivers and passengers to stretch their legs, automatically adjust their seat, and experience continuous lumbar support.
CBM technology was developed by the same team that produced the ultra-flexible Ergomax® office chair, American Ergonomics of San Rafael, Calif., and Gizmo Design of Sebastopol, Calif. Designer Tom Greer, owner of Gizmo Design, used SolidWorks 3D CAD software to adapt the seat design for automobiles and used COSMOSWorks® Designer analysis software to refine the design and carefully predict what would happen to the seat upon impact.
“After the crash test, we removed the seat pan and held it up to the COSMOS Works image on our computer screen, and they were identical,” said Greer. “COSMOSWorks absolutely predicted what would happen in the real world so precisely it made our hair stand on end. More importantly, the result of our work will make the difference between someone leaving the scene of a crash on foot or, sadly, in an ambulance. |
Car Accident Attorneys.com Articles
Latest News