A Multi-Sensor Experimental Framework for Assessing Occupant and Vehicle Dynamics in Crash Test Scenarios

The proposed synchronized multi-sensor framework provides an experimental approach for integrated crash assessment by combining vehicle structural response, restraint-system loading, and occupant biomechanical measurements within a common temporal reference. The experimental campaign comprised two full-scale crash events involving three vehicles and six Hybrid III 50th percentile male ATD exposures: a front-to-rear vehicle collision with standard occupant positioning and a full-frontal rigid-barrier impact with forward-leaning out-of-position (OOP) occupants. Triaxial thoracic accelerations, seat belt forces, and B-pillar accelerations were recorded simultaneously using synchronized data acquisition systems. The frontal OOP configuration produced the highest longitudinal (X-axis) thoracic acceleration, approximately 62 g, and the highest measured local belt-segment force, 9.80 kN, whereas the rear-impacted vehicle exhibited the highest local B-pillar acceleration. These configuration-specific observations demonstrate the capability of the proposed framework to characterize structural, restraint-system, and occupant responses simultaneously across different full-scale crash configurations.