Vehicle Dynamics
Test Sled
How can a particular collision mode be evaluated in a controlled and repeatable environment? Can the difference in occupant restraint provided by three types of occupant protection systems be evaluated in a reliable and cost-effective manner?
At S-E-A the short answer to these, and many questions like this, is YES - absolutely.
The S-E-A indoor sled facility is ideal at accommodating a variety of vehicle types and occupant spaces in events ranging from single to multiple degrees of freedom. S-E-A uses this dynamic system to evaluate various aspects of both on-highway and off-road accidents, to provide third party data regarding occupant protection, and to perform parametric studies to help manufacturers in product design and evaluation efforts.
Capitalizing on its expertise in vehicle autonomous control systems (e.g. S-E-A Driving Robots), S-E-A has designed its sled system to execute a wide range of acceleration and deceleration pulses in an accurate and repeatable manner. The test sled is also used as an impact simulator at the lower end of vehicle speeds and in non-automotive related test simulations.
Regardless of the test conditions or event replicated, S-E-A’s experts in vehicle dynamics and biomechanics have a proven track record of helping their clients obtain the data necessary to make informed decisions at every stage.
Occupant Protection & Safety
S-E-A is passionate about providing its clients with the information they need to make their equipment, vehicles, work site, or product safer.
From automobiles to forklifts to all-terrain vehicles, we love to ensure the safest ride possible. This is why we pride ourselves on having the ability and the tools to test occupant safety in a wide variety of events and environments. At our headquarters in Columbus, OH, the Test Sled can be outfitted with S-E-A’s Roll Simulator to create an accurate and repeatable simulation of tip-over events and the early dynamic stages of rollover events. This system has been used to provide manufacturers with critical parametric data regarding occupant restraints and other protection systems as well as on US Government projects to provide data for standards development and evaluation.
S-E-A's Roll Simulator was designed and built through the collaboration of Mechanical Engineering, Vehicle Dynamics, and Biomechanics groups. But the Roll Simulator is just one of the test modules that can be performed with S-E-A’s dedicated indoor test sled. S-E-A’s test sled and the various test modules used on it have the following benefits:
- Accurate and repeatable simulation of real-world events
- Non-destructive testing
- Occupant protection and response evaluation, including occupant compartment penetration studies
- Tip over, trip and/or non-roll event simulation
- Minor accident simulation
- Cost effective for use on R&D, regulatory compliance and litigative matters
- Ability to accommodate a wide variety of vehicles and/or occupant compartments from component level testing to full vehicles (depending on size/weight)