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Thesis Format

Integrated Article

Yuze LiFollow

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Mechanical and Materials Engineering

Supervisor

Mao, Haojie

Abstract

This study aimed to study the proactive safety system, a new car safety system to prevent whiplash injuries in low-speed rear-end collisions. It utilizes a smart algorithm to actively reduce the distance between the headrest and the occupant's head prior to an imminent rear collision. Physical experiments and human body finite element (FE) simulations were conducted to test the system's feasibility, working algorithms, and effectiveness. The results demonstrated the feasibility of the new active safety system concept and explored its potential advantages. Limitations were identified, such as the use of a rigid seat model, light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensor, and its hardware design. Future research should explore the system's impact on other injuries and address existing limitations. For instance, optimizing the rear-end collision detection algorithm of the safety system is crucial to minimize the occurrence of false activations. In brief, this study offers valuable insights for developing a proactive safety system, enhancing traffic safety, and reducing whiplash injuries.

Summary for Lay Audience

With the increasing number of cars worldwide, traffic accidents are also on the rise. Whiplash injuries are very common among passengers sitting in the vehicle during low-speed rear-end collisions. The purpose of this research is to design a proactive safety system for automobiles that is different from mainstream products currently available in the market, in order to reduce the risk of whiplash injury for passengers in rear-end collisions. The term 'proactive system' refers to a system that is activated before a collision occurs, causing the seat's headrest to move forward, and reducing the distance between the headrest and the passenger's head. This study offers valuable insights for the development of a proactive safety system, enhancing traffic safety management and reducing whiplash injuries.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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