The UVA Center for Applied Biomechanics is the largest university-based biomechanics lab in the world and focuses on biomechanics of injury prevention, specifically in automotive sled-testing applications. The facility has two automotive sled bays, but also tests in other fields, like sports injury biomechanics.
As a CAB intern, I was on a project focused on preventing submarining in reclined 5th percentile female vehicle occupants in frontal crashes through the use of seat cushion airbags and restraints. My day-to-day responsibilities included motion-capture data processing, component design for test dummy fixtures, and sled test setup for both dummy and post-mortem human surrogate tests.
Data Processing
VICON motion-capture cameras and markers were used on sled tests to determine occupant kinematics during the acceleration pulse. I processed, cleaned, and gap-filled this data using Vicon Nexus so it could be exported for further processing and eventually used to track key components like the pelvis, critical vertebra, head, arms, and legs.
