All the measurements were performed in the working positions at the machines. Field flux densitie... more All the measurements were performed in the working positions at the machines. Field flux densities in the range 0-10 mT at mostly 50 Hz were found in both types of industries. Near induction heaters, both the magnetic flux density and the frequency may be very high (up to 10 kHz). Knowledge of industrial field characteristics such as frequency, flux density, and distribution will facilitate laboratory research aimed at determining possible biological effects of magnetic fields. These results indicate that biological effects of the magnetic fields probably occur (magnetophosphenes), although these phenomena are difficult to recognize in industrial localities with high background illumination.
For most universities, especially in technical and medical disciplines, there has been a clear am... more For most universities, especially in technical and medical disciplines, there has been a clear ambition to conduct applied research with a focus on utilisation. Research collaboration between industry and universities promotes improvement and innovation in industry and helps to ensure industrial relevance in academic research. In this paper an organisational model to strengthen interaction between academia and industry is presented along with the results so far. One of the aims of the model is to further stimulate utilisation within the Department of Applied Mechanics at Chalmers University of Technology, which is also in line with one of the University's four main objectives. The various components in the model were developed during a series of workshops run over a period of six months. One of the focal points of these workshops was to define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) common to the Department. In the initial task of registering the KPIs, it became obvious that not all of them were appli-cable within every research division at the Department because of the differences in the work being pursued in research and education. The KPIs vary in relevance and have been modified several times. Today the KPIs are stable and for some of them trends have been identified. By deploying the organisational model we are now able to track, measure and display our utilisation efforts to improve them further and to create new incentives. Overall, the model has made a valuable contribution to everyday life at the Department and its partners. The mindset of the researchers has slowly changed in favour of utilisation as a key area, putting it on a par with research and education. However, one problem that still exists is to objectively measure and be credited for utilisation in conjunction with promotion to higher academic positions. Experience to date shows that the organisational model is a candidate model for university-wide implementa-tion. This will lead to more initiatives for, and greater attention to, utilisation and impact in proposals and in the dialogue with industry.
To elucidate the possible traffic safety risks induced by visual field defects, a method was deve... more To elucidate the possible traffic safety risks induced by visual field defects, a method was developed based on a driving simulator. The capacity to detect stimuli of different sizes appearing in 24 different positions on the screen in front of the driver was measured. Two groups of normal subjects and a number of subjects with different visual field defects were studied. In the groups of normals, the median reaction times were fairly homogenous. There was a slight difference between central and peripheral stimuli, which was somewhat larger for the older subjects. Among the subjects with field defects, the individual variations were very dominant. Very few of these showed a capacity to compensate for their deficiency. In order to gain insight into possible compensatory mechanisms of these persons, eye movement recordings were made. The results indicate that the visual search pattern may be of importance in this respect. Some comparisons with respect to detection capacity were also made with one-eyed subjects and with optically generated field restrictions (spectacles and spectacle frames).
The book was written on the initiative of The Swedish Transport & Communications Research Boa... more The book was written on the initiative of The Swedish Transport & Communications Research Board to describe the state of art within transportation research. This textbook addresses students and professionals within the field of traffic safety. Five resear
In order to design an optimal seat and head-rest for minimizing the risk of injuries to the occup... more In order to design an optimal seat and head-rest for minimizing the risk of injuries to the occupants in rear-end collisions, it is first necessary to ascertain the injury mechanism causing cervical vertebral and spinal ligament injury. A mechanical model of relevant cervical sections has been developed, based on experiments carried out on cadaver spine segments in order to investigate this problem. The experimental model consists of lumber spine segments. A specially designed fixture is used to hold the specimen in a known orientation. Bending moments are applied to the upper vertebra in different directions. Loads and moments generated in the lumber segments are then recorded with a biomechanical platform. At the same time the three-dimensional motion behavior of relevant structures are studied. The specimens are initially exposed to a physiological range of motion, then the ligaments are broken. After this injury generation the motion behavior is investigated again. The results w...
To be more competitive and innovative, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) should benefit f... more To be more competitive and innovative, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) should benefit from access to more advanced research through an increased collaboration with HEIs (Higher Education Institutions). Based on the need to improve understanding of both the obstacles and opportunities regarding collaborations between SMEs and HEIs, the GIENAHS Erasmus Plus Project was established as a partnership between SMEs and HEIs from six EU countries. The study described in this paper aims to find ways for HEIs to improve their ability to interact with SMEs and vice versa, both through joint research and industry PhD students; as well as to propose strategies and methods for optimal long-term relationships and collaborations, including win-win situations for HEIs and SMEs. A questionnaire was developed and sent out to both HEIs and SMEs in each of the six partner countries. The results are based on the responses from 37 HEIs and 73 SMEs, which were analysed using the accepted model in...
An organisational model that allows operations to be directed has been developed and has been in ... more An organisational model that allows operations to be directed has been developed and has been in use for a number of years. It has now been developed further to highlight a process that will permit the successful impact of university-industry interaction to be sustained. With the experience of agreed parameters, or KPIs, their interrelationship and what each parameter is driving can now be evaluated. The rationale behind the model can be divided into three parts:  Monitor and follow up a number of parameters, including satisfaction, collaboration and strategies (KPIs)  Promote greater understanding of a common vision and goals using workshops and oth-er means  Encourage research groups to work with a vision aimed at desired impacts and to visu-alise how far the group has come in the process The long-term ambition is to develop a strategy and build up a vision regarding the impact academ-ics would like to see in the future based on their research and education. Close relations wit...
Journal of Crash Prevention and Injury Control, 2001
A number of current projects are developing new crash test dumrnies for rear-end impact testing. ... more A number of current projects are developing new crash test dumrnies for rear-end impact testing. The validation of such a dummy design requires human response data from pertinent test situations. The objectives of this study are to quantify human head, neck, ehest, pelvis and femur mechanical response in a well defined test seat. Furthermore, the aim is to see how the response varies with seat design and sled speed change during low-speed rear-end collisions. This data is intended to be used in the validation of our crash test dummy (BioRID I) in rear-end impact situations, with a focus on low �V collisions. Thirteen human subjects were exposed to 28 rear-end collision sled impacts with velocity changes close to 5 and 7 km/h respectively. The results showed vertical motion of the subjects' H-point caused by ramping up along the seat, a forward rotation of the subjects' femur and maybe a contraction of the subjects' gluteus muscles. A vertical motion of the subjects' torso and head was also observed. This motion was caused by a combination of ramping up along the seat-back and the straightening of the thoracic kyphosis. In the first 100 ms after impact, several subjects flexed their head relative T 1. These new data have proven to be useful as validation data for new rear-end impact dummies.
Journal of Crash Prevention and Injury Control, 2001
Rcptintr available directly from thc pvblirhcr Pholcwpying permitted by license only 0 2 M I OPA ... more Rcptintr available directly from thc pvblirhcr Pholcwpying permitted by license only 0 2 M I OPA (Overseas Publirhcn Association) N.V. Publirhcd by liccnv under thc Cordon and Breach Scicncc hblishcrs imprint.
The threshold for flexion-distraction injuries was determined on lumbar functional spinal units e... more The threshold for flexion-distraction injuries was determined on lumbar functional spinal units exposed to a combined flexion-shear load in the sagittal plane. The specimens could resist a bending moment of 121 Nm and a shear force of 486 N at the first sign of a permanent deformation of the osteoligamentous components, which occurred at 78% of the assumed ultimate strength of each specimen. The flexion angulation was 16 degrees. The bone mineral content determined in adjacent vertebrae by means of dual photon absorptiometry was an accurate predictor of structural properties of the entire functional spinal unit even at the first sign of a substantial structural injury and not only at ultimate failure as previously demonstrated.
Nerve cells in the cervical and upper thoracic spinal ganglia were examined for possible plasma m... more Nerve cells in the cervical and upper thoracic spinal ganglia were examined for possible plasma membrane leakage, as revealed by their ability to exclude a dye-protein complex, after experimentally induced whiplash in a pig model system. The rationale for this approach is found in the fact that the interstitium of spinal ganglia differs from most other parts of the nervous system in that it lacks a barrier, allowing blood constituents to gain access. The dye Evans blue, which rapidly conjugates with blood proteins, is found in the interstitium of normal spinal ganglia after intravenous injection, but it is excluded from the nerve cells and their enveloping satellite cells. In contrast, after a simulated whiplash extension trauma many of the nerve cells were stained, reflecting the inability of their plasma membranes to exclude the dye-protein complex. Morphometric measurements revealed that the highest frequency of cellular dye uptake was observed in the C4-C7 spinal ganglia (mean 16 - 18%; range 5-27%). The blood-nerve barrier of the adjacent nerve fascicles remained intact, with rare exception. Several factors are considered to contribute to the induction of these cell abnormalities in the spinal ganglia after an experimentally induced, simulated whiplash trauma in this pig model system.
One type of production-car front-seat with a head-restraint was tested in simulated low-velocity ... more One type of production-car front-seat with a head-restraint was tested in simulated low-velocity rear-impacts using a Hybrid III-dummy fitted with a modified neck (RID-neck). The seat was modified in various ways to test the influence of different seat properties on the head-neck motion during the impact. The results show that it is possible to influence the head-neck kinematics to a great extent by modifying the properties of the seat-back and the head-restraint. It was possible to virtually eliminate the neck extension motion during the rear-impact and this will hopefully result in a significant decrease of the neck injury risk in real world rearimpacts.
Papers presented at the conference were as follows: the traffic safety programs of the Swedish tr... more Papers presented at the conference were as follows: the traffic safety programs of the Swedish traffic safety office (haakansson,e); fatigue during work. Measurement and control (aakerstedt,t); fatigue in traffic. A difficult problem to research (lisper,ho); field and simulator studies of vigilance during vehicle driving (landstroem,u); the influence of noise, infrasound and heat on driver performance (toernros,j); driver education. Problems and research needs (ericsson,pi); how can theoretical driver education be improved? (rexling,b); basic research: driver behaviour -driver education (aaberg,l); the accident trend and accident situation of children (lekander,t); reactions of children and adults to the local traffic environment (bjoerklid,p); safety of child cyclists in urban traffic. The influence of road and street design and regulation (leden,l); what effect does the children's traffic club have on child safety? (spolander,k); wild-bars. Injury consequences in collisions between heavy trucks and unprotected road users (loevsund,p); methods of studying spinal response (in vitro) to different mechanical loads (osvalder,al); coordinated analysis of traffic accident data from police and hospitals in Gothenburg (bunketorp,o, romanus,b, nilsson,w and falk,s); neck complaints following car accidents (olsson,i, bunketorp,o, markhede,g, romanus,b, blaader,s and lindh,m). (continued on IRRD 826149.)
Seat belts can reduce the risk of injury by approximately 50% when used. This paper describes a p... more Seat belts can reduce the risk of injury by approximately 50% when used. This paper describes a proposal by a Swedish group representing government, research, insurance companies and car and restraint systems industry of a smart system that will force car occupants to use their restraint system. Described are different technical approaches which will not interfere with the normal belt use. The paper also discusses the problem from a cost effectiveness point of view and analyzes the potential of saving lives in an international perspective. It has been shown that more than 6,000 lives could be saved annually in the European Union if the existing seat belts were used by 100% of the car occupants.
Notice: Changes introduced as a result of publishing processes such as copy-editing and formattin... more Notice: Changes introduced as a result of publishing processes such as copy-editing and formatting may not be reflected in this document. For a definitive version of this work, please refer to the published source. Please note that access to the published version might require a subscription. Chalmers Publication Library (CPL) offers the possibility of retrieving research publications produced at Chalmers University of Technology. It covers all types of publications: articles, dissertations, licentiate theses, masters theses, conference papers, reports etc. Since 2006 it is the official tool for Chalmers official publication statistics. To ensure that Chalmers research results are disseminated as widely as possible, an Open Access Policy has been adopted. The CPL service is administrated and maintained by Chalmers Library.
All the measurements were performed in the working positions at the machines. Field flux densitie... more All the measurements were performed in the working positions at the machines. Field flux densities in the range 0-10 mT at mostly 50 Hz were found in both types of industries. Near induction heaters, both the magnetic flux density and the frequency may be very high (up to 10 kHz). Knowledge of industrial field characteristics such as frequency, flux density, and distribution will facilitate laboratory research aimed at determining possible biological effects of magnetic fields. These results indicate that biological effects of the magnetic fields probably occur (magnetophosphenes), although these phenomena are difficult to recognize in industrial localities with high background illumination.
For most universities, especially in technical and medical disciplines, there has been a clear am... more For most universities, especially in technical and medical disciplines, there has been a clear ambition to conduct applied research with a focus on utilisation. Research collaboration between industry and universities promotes improvement and innovation in industry and helps to ensure industrial relevance in academic research. In this paper an organisational model to strengthen interaction between academia and industry is presented along with the results so far. One of the aims of the model is to further stimulate utilisation within the Department of Applied Mechanics at Chalmers University of Technology, which is also in line with one of the University's four main objectives. The various components in the model were developed during a series of workshops run over a period of six months. One of the focal points of these workshops was to define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) common to the Department. In the initial task of registering the KPIs, it became obvious that not all of them were appli-cable within every research division at the Department because of the differences in the work being pursued in research and education. The KPIs vary in relevance and have been modified several times. Today the KPIs are stable and for some of them trends have been identified. By deploying the organisational model we are now able to track, measure and display our utilisation efforts to improve them further and to create new incentives. Overall, the model has made a valuable contribution to everyday life at the Department and its partners. The mindset of the researchers has slowly changed in favour of utilisation as a key area, putting it on a par with research and education. However, one problem that still exists is to objectively measure and be credited for utilisation in conjunction with promotion to higher academic positions. Experience to date shows that the organisational model is a candidate model for university-wide implementa-tion. This will lead to more initiatives for, and greater attention to, utilisation and impact in proposals and in the dialogue with industry.
To elucidate the possible traffic safety risks induced by visual field defects, a method was deve... more To elucidate the possible traffic safety risks induced by visual field defects, a method was developed based on a driving simulator. The capacity to detect stimuli of different sizes appearing in 24 different positions on the screen in front of the driver was measured. Two groups of normal subjects and a number of subjects with different visual field defects were studied. In the groups of normals, the median reaction times were fairly homogenous. There was a slight difference between central and peripheral stimuli, which was somewhat larger for the older subjects. Among the subjects with field defects, the individual variations were very dominant. Very few of these showed a capacity to compensate for their deficiency. In order to gain insight into possible compensatory mechanisms of these persons, eye movement recordings were made. The results indicate that the visual search pattern may be of importance in this respect. Some comparisons with respect to detection capacity were also made with one-eyed subjects and with optically generated field restrictions (spectacles and spectacle frames).
The book was written on the initiative of The Swedish Transport & Communications Research Boa... more The book was written on the initiative of The Swedish Transport & Communications Research Board to describe the state of art within transportation research. This textbook addresses students and professionals within the field of traffic safety. Five resear
In order to design an optimal seat and head-rest for minimizing the risk of injuries to the occup... more In order to design an optimal seat and head-rest for minimizing the risk of injuries to the occupants in rear-end collisions, it is first necessary to ascertain the injury mechanism causing cervical vertebral and spinal ligament injury. A mechanical model of relevant cervical sections has been developed, based on experiments carried out on cadaver spine segments in order to investigate this problem. The experimental model consists of lumber spine segments. A specially designed fixture is used to hold the specimen in a known orientation. Bending moments are applied to the upper vertebra in different directions. Loads and moments generated in the lumber segments are then recorded with a biomechanical platform. At the same time the three-dimensional motion behavior of relevant structures are studied. The specimens are initially exposed to a physiological range of motion, then the ligaments are broken. After this injury generation the motion behavior is investigated again. The results w...
To be more competitive and innovative, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) should benefit f... more To be more competitive and innovative, SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) should benefit from access to more advanced research through an increased collaboration with HEIs (Higher Education Institutions). Based on the need to improve understanding of both the obstacles and opportunities regarding collaborations between SMEs and HEIs, the GIENAHS Erasmus Plus Project was established as a partnership between SMEs and HEIs from six EU countries. The study described in this paper aims to find ways for HEIs to improve their ability to interact with SMEs and vice versa, both through joint research and industry PhD students; as well as to propose strategies and methods for optimal long-term relationships and collaborations, including win-win situations for HEIs and SMEs. A questionnaire was developed and sent out to both HEIs and SMEs in each of the six partner countries. The results are based on the responses from 37 HEIs and 73 SMEs, which were analysed using the accepted model in...
An organisational model that allows operations to be directed has been developed and has been in ... more An organisational model that allows operations to be directed has been developed and has been in use for a number of years. It has now been developed further to highlight a process that will permit the successful impact of university-industry interaction to be sustained. With the experience of agreed parameters, or KPIs, their interrelationship and what each parameter is driving can now be evaluated. The rationale behind the model can be divided into three parts:  Monitor and follow up a number of parameters, including satisfaction, collaboration and strategies (KPIs)  Promote greater understanding of a common vision and goals using workshops and oth-er means  Encourage research groups to work with a vision aimed at desired impacts and to visu-alise how far the group has come in the process The long-term ambition is to develop a strategy and build up a vision regarding the impact academ-ics would like to see in the future based on their research and education. Close relations wit...
Journal of Crash Prevention and Injury Control, 2001
A number of current projects are developing new crash test dumrnies for rear-end impact testing. ... more A number of current projects are developing new crash test dumrnies for rear-end impact testing. The validation of such a dummy design requires human response data from pertinent test situations. The objectives of this study are to quantify human head, neck, ehest, pelvis and femur mechanical response in a well defined test seat. Furthermore, the aim is to see how the response varies with seat design and sled speed change during low-speed rear-end collisions. This data is intended to be used in the validation of our crash test dummy (BioRID I) in rear-end impact situations, with a focus on low �V collisions. Thirteen human subjects were exposed to 28 rear-end collision sled impacts with velocity changes close to 5 and 7 km/h respectively. The results showed vertical motion of the subjects' H-point caused by ramping up along the seat, a forward rotation of the subjects' femur and maybe a contraction of the subjects' gluteus muscles. A vertical motion of the subjects' torso and head was also observed. This motion was caused by a combination of ramping up along the seat-back and the straightening of the thoracic kyphosis. In the first 100 ms after impact, several subjects flexed their head relative T 1. These new data have proven to be useful as validation data for new rear-end impact dummies.
Journal of Crash Prevention and Injury Control, 2001
Rcptintr available directly from thc pvblirhcr Pholcwpying permitted by license only 0 2 M I OPA ... more Rcptintr available directly from thc pvblirhcr Pholcwpying permitted by license only 0 2 M I OPA (Overseas Publirhcn Association) N.V. Publirhcd by liccnv under thc Cordon and Breach Scicncc hblishcrs imprint.
The threshold for flexion-distraction injuries was determined on lumbar functional spinal units e... more The threshold for flexion-distraction injuries was determined on lumbar functional spinal units exposed to a combined flexion-shear load in the sagittal plane. The specimens could resist a bending moment of 121 Nm and a shear force of 486 N at the first sign of a permanent deformation of the osteoligamentous components, which occurred at 78% of the assumed ultimate strength of each specimen. The flexion angulation was 16 degrees. The bone mineral content determined in adjacent vertebrae by means of dual photon absorptiometry was an accurate predictor of structural properties of the entire functional spinal unit even at the first sign of a substantial structural injury and not only at ultimate failure as previously demonstrated.
Nerve cells in the cervical and upper thoracic spinal ganglia were examined for possible plasma m... more Nerve cells in the cervical and upper thoracic spinal ganglia were examined for possible plasma membrane leakage, as revealed by their ability to exclude a dye-protein complex, after experimentally induced whiplash in a pig model system. The rationale for this approach is found in the fact that the interstitium of spinal ganglia differs from most other parts of the nervous system in that it lacks a barrier, allowing blood constituents to gain access. The dye Evans blue, which rapidly conjugates with blood proteins, is found in the interstitium of normal spinal ganglia after intravenous injection, but it is excluded from the nerve cells and their enveloping satellite cells. In contrast, after a simulated whiplash extension trauma many of the nerve cells were stained, reflecting the inability of their plasma membranes to exclude the dye-protein complex. Morphometric measurements revealed that the highest frequency of cellular dye uptake was observed in the C4-C7 spinal ganglia (mean 16 - 18%; range 5-27%). The blood-nerve barrier of the adjacent nerve fascicles remained intact, with rare exception. Several factors are considered to contribute to the induction of these cell abnormalities in the spinal ganglia after an experimentally induced, simulated whiplash trauma in this pig model system.
One type of production-car front-seat with a head-restraint was tested in simulated low-velocity ... more One type of production-car front-seat with a head-restraint was tested in simulated low-velocity rear-impacts using a Hybrid III-dummy fitted with a modified neck (RID-neck). The seat was modified in various ways to test the influence of different seat properties on the head-neck motion during the impact. The results show that it is possible to influence the head-neck kinematics to a great extent by modifying the properties of the seat-back and the head-restraint. It was possible to virtually eliminate the neck extension motion during the rear-impact and this will hopefully result in a significant decrease of the neck injury risk in real world rearimpacts.
Papers presented at the conference were as follows: the traffic safety programs of the Swedish tr... more Papers presented at the conference were as follows: the traffic safety programs of the Swedish traffic safety office (haakansson,e); fatigue during work. Measurement and control (aakerstedt,t); fatigue in traffic. A difficult problem to research (lisper,ho); field and simulator studies of vigilance during vehicle driving (landstroem,u); the influence of noise, infrasound and heat on driver performance (toernros,j); driver education. Problems and research needs (ericsson,pi); how can theoretical driver education be improved? (rexling,b); basic research: driver behaviour -driver education (aaberg,l); the accident trend and accident situation of children (lekander,t); reactions of children and adults to the local traffic environment (bjoerklid,p); safety of child cyclists in urban traffic. The influence of road and street design and regulation (leden,l); what effect does the children's traffic club have on child safety? (spolander,k); wild-bars. Injury consequences in collisions between heavy trucks and unprotected road users (loevsund,p); methods of studying spinal response (in vitro) to different mechanical loads (osvalder,al); coordinated analysis of traffic accident data from police and hospitals in Gothenburg (bunketorp,o, romanus,b, nilsson,w and falk,s); neck complaints following car accidents (olsson,i, bunketorp,o, markhede,g, romanus,b, blaader,s and lindh,m). (continued on IRRD 826149.)
Seat belts can reduce the risk of injury by approximately 50% when used. This paper describes a p... more Seat belts can reduce the risk of injury by approximately 50% when used. This paper describes a proposal by a Swedish group representing government, research, insurance companies and car and restraint systems industry of a smart system that will force car occupants to use their restraint system. Described are different technical approaches which will not interfere with the normal belt use. The paper also discusses the problem from a cost effectiveness point of view and analyzes the potential of saving lives in an international perspective. It has been shown that more than 6,000 lives could be saved annually in the European Union if the existing seat belts were used by 100% of the car occupants.
Notice: Changes introduced as a result of publishing processes such as copy-editing and formattin... more Notice: Changes introduced as a result of publishing processes such as copy-editing and formatting may not be reflected in this document. For a definitive version of this work, please refer to the published source. Please note that access to the published version might require a subscription. Chalmers Publication Library (CPL) offers the possibility of retrieving research publications produced at Chalmers University of Technology. It covers all types of publications: articles, dissertations, licentiate theses, masters theses, conference papers, reports etc. Since 2006 it is the official tool for Chalmers official publication statistics. To ensure that Chalmers research results are disseminated as widely as possible, an Open Access Policy has been adopted. The CPL service is administrated and maintained by Chalmers Library.
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