Military Pilot Protection | Publications

A goal of the research program at the Armstrong Aeromedical Research Laboratory (AAMRL) is to reduce the incidence of head and spinal injuries during ejection from high-speed aircraft, specifically addressing the encumbrance effects on crew persons during retraction, headcanopy impacts, wind blast, and parachute-opening shock. To accomplish this goal, starting in 1989, Dr. Paver assisted AAMRL in their studies of trauma biomechanics in military personnel. Theoretical and experimental studies were performed that measured, analyzed, and simulated the kinematic and dynamic head-neck responses of existing anthropomorphic dummies. The mathematical models utilized for this research included the Head-Spine Model and the Articulated Total Body Model. The Hybrid II, Hybrid III, and Biosid anthropomorphic crash test dummies were selected as the test specimens. Results of this study led to improved tools for simulating the head-neck system for use in studies of aircraft environments where head and spinal injuries occur.