Simulation
Simulation is a key tool in modern vehicle development, enabling engineers to virtually analyze and optimize systems before physical prototypes are built. By replicating real-world conditions in a controlled digital environment, simulation allows for detailed studies of complex interactions between vehicle structures, occupants, and safety systems. Through numerical models, different physical domains—such as vehicle dynamics, structural mechanics, thermodynamics, and occupant biomechanics—can be represented and coupled. This integrated approach supports a more efficient development process by reducing the need for costly and time-consuming physical testing while enabling earlier detection of potential safety and performance issues. In the context of vehicle safety, simulations are typically divided into distinct phases—pre-crash, crash, and in-crash—each focusing on a specific part of the event chain. Together, they provide a comprehensive understanding of how a vehicle and its occupants behave from the moment before an impact through to the occupant’s interaction with restraint systems during the crash.
Examples
The pre-crash phase focuses on the vehicle and occupant behavior immediately before an impact. Simulations in this phase analyze the effects of driver actions, automated safety maneuvers, and emergency braking on the vehicle’s dynamics and the occupant’s position. Since these events can cause the occupant to move away from the standard seating posture, pre-crash simulations provide essential input for evaluating how passive safety systems—such as airbags, seatbelts, and seats—should adapt or be activated. The results of this phase serve as boundary conditions for the subsequent crash simulation.
Crash simulations represent the core of vehicle safety development. They are used to study how the vehicle structure deforms, decelerates, and absorbs energy during impact. By analyzing parameters such as deceleration pulses, structural failure, and intrusion into the occupant compartment, engineers can design structures that maintain survival space and minimize injury risk. The outputs from the pre-crash phase, such as altered occupant positions or vehicle orientations, can be integrated to create more realistic crash conditions.
In-crash simulations focus on the interaction between the occupant and the restraint systems during the impact itself. Using the crash deceleration data and pre-crash occupant positions, these simulations evaluate how seatbelts, airbags, and other restraints perform under realistic conditions. Injury criteria and biomechanical metrics are calculated to assess occupant protection levels. This phase closes the loop between pre-crash dynamics, structural crash behavior, and occupant safety, enabling comprehensive safety concept evaluations.