Project

For all any info and downloads regarding the Piper Software or Child model, please go to http://piper-project.org

This site is the site of the PIPER European project (which is now completed). It will remain for historical purpose but will not be updated anymore.

Project summary

In passive safety, advanced Human Body Models for injury prediction based on the FE method have the potential to represent the population variability and to provide more accurate injury predictions than alternatives using global injury criteria.

However, these advanced HBM are underutilized in industrial R&D. Reasons include difficulties to position the models – which are typically only available in one posture – in actual vehicle environments, and the lack of model families to represent the population variability.

The main objective of the PIPER project will be to develop new tools to position and personalize these advanced HBM. By facilitating the generation of population and subject-specific HBM and their usage in production environments, the tools will enable new applications in industrial R&D for the design of restraint systems as well as new research applications.

This project is funded by the European Commission within the FP7 programme.
It is coordinated by the University of Lyon and gathers ten partners from five countries during three and a half year starting from November 1st 2013. The total budget of the project amounts 3,8 million euros for an EC funding of 2,9 million euros.

Motivation and Objectives

In passive safety, advanced Human Body Models for injury prediction based on the FE method have the potential to represent the population variability and to provide more accurate injury predictions than alternatives using global injury criteria. However, these advanced HBM are underutilized in industrial R&D. Reasons include difficulties to position the models – which are typically only available in one posture – in actual vehicle environments, and the lack of model families to represent the population variability.

The main objective of the project will be to develop new tools to position and personalize these advanced HBM. By facilitating the generation of population and subject-specific HBM and their usage in production environments, the tools will enable new applications in industrial R&D for the design of restraint systems as well as new research applications.

Project Plan, Milestones and Deliverables

The figure provides a simplified overview of the project expected timeline for the development of the tools to position and personalize advanced Human Body Models and surrounding applications.

Figure3

Technical Approach

  • Specifications will be agreed upon with future industrial users.
  • Future evolutions and dissemination will be facilitated by the use of modular, human body model   neutral approach.
  • An extensive evaluation in actual applications to several adult and child models will take place during the project.
  • The tools will be made available by using an Open Source exploitation strategy and extensive dissemination driven by the industrial partners.
  • Proven approaches will be combined with innovative solutions transferred from computer graphics, statistical shape and ergonomics modeling.

Expected achievements

  • WP1: Evaluation of the personalizing and positioning tools in actual applications including adult and child biomechanics. Improvement of child human models and accident reconstruction environments; definition of guidelines for future use.
  • WP2: Development of predictors of posture and shape to help drive the personalisation and positioning tools based on imaging and postural data.
  • WP3: Development of a modular framework to position and personalize human body models
  • WP4: Dissemination of the results, facilitation of test by potential user

Key data

  • Budget:  4 M€ 
  • EC Funding: 3 M€
  • Duration:  42 months, starting on 1st November 2013
  • DG / Unit  Research / H4 - SST.2013.4-3 - Grant agreement nr. 605544
  • Coordinator  Philippe Beillas, University Lyon 1 - IFSTTAR
  • Other Partners: LAB PSA Renault, PDB, CEESAR, INRIA, SOTON, TU Berlin , IIT Delhi, KTH