Course syllabus for Impact biomechanics

Course syllabus adopted 2025-02-19 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameSkadebiomekanik
  • CodeTME196
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPMOB
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyBioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Physics
  • DepartmentMECHANICS AND MARITIME SCIENCES
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 89132
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0111 Written and oral assignments, part A 4.5 c
Grading: TH		 4.5 c
0211 Examination, part B 3 c
Grading: TH		 3 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

BSc in Engineering and good skills in mechanics and programming skills in Python or MATLAB.
TME202 Vehicle and traffic safety is recommended.

Aim

The students will acquire fundamental knowledge in human anatomy, physiology and the effects of different forms of mechanical stress on the body that occur in traffic accidents but also in other situations, e.g. in sports. The students will gain useful knowledge in how to reduce the risk of injury, by introducing restraints/protection systems, in the event of mechanical stress. In addition, students gain insight into how to prospectively determine the effectivness of different protection systems.
The students will gain some understanding of how mathematical models of humans, which are often used in prospective studies, are designed and how these can be developed and used. The students also gain some basic knowledge of how mechanical manikins are designed and how injury risk functions are developed.
The students will learn how to analyze results from mathematical models of humans, with a particular focus on simulation of human tissues.
By studying injury biomechanics in groups and proposing protection systems that reduce the risk of injury to a specific body region for a specific trauma the students will gain a profound understanding of how protection systems are designed and evaluated.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

- describe the basic structure and mechanical properties of various body parts
- describe how different body regions respond to static and transient loads; biomechanical and physiological response (fundamental principles of injury biomechanics)
- discuss the concept of injury criteria, injury risk functions and injury thresholds
- suggest appropriate model, e.g. subtypes of mechanical, biological or mathematical models, in various different types of studies in the field of passive safety
- describe how restraints can reduce injury risk and reason about how human characteristics affect the risk of injury
- describe how a vehicle accident analysis and reconstruction is carried out and how such data can be used to specify product requirements
- describe how near-crash activated reversible safety systems will reduce injury risk if the crash occurs.

Content

The course consists of lectures, a larger assignment and a computer laboratory exercise. The lectures will cover:
- Fundamental anatomy and physiology and response to loads.
- Biomechanical tolerance levels, injury mechanisms and protection criteria.
- Biological models (cadavers, animals, human volunteers) and experimental studies.
- Test methods used in the assessments.
- Mathematical models (FEM) used for analysing vehicle-occupant interactions and interaction with protective systems.
- Methods for acquiring accident data, coding and classifying injuries, assessing risk of permanent disability.
- Protection system design for different road-user categories, different body parts and for various loading configurations.

Organisation

- Lectures and Assignments

Literature

Selected sections in Trauma Biomechanics - Accident Injury in Traffic and Sports; Kai-Uwe Scmitt et al. 2:nd edition or later, ISBN 978-3-540-73872-5
Handouts of lecture notes and scientific articles as provided by the course homepage

Examination including compulsory elements

- Assignments (A1), 3.75 p, graded
- Exam (A2), 3.75 p, graded

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.