MOTO GPX -Testing

BMW Pendulum Test
A series of tests were carried out at the BMW Motorrad testing facility in Munich, Germany, to determine the effectiveness of the Leatt-Brace™ MOTO GPX. The test consisted of fitting the brace to a Motorcycle Anthropomorphic Test Device (MATD), which was then inverted and swung from a 75° angle via a pendulum so that the head of the dummy impacted with a 77kg steel block, causing the head and neck to hyperextend. Results and video footage of this test can be viewed below.

BMW Pendulum Test without the Leatt-Brace™


BMW Pendulum Test with the Leatt-Brace™ MOTO GPX


The results of this test can be seen in the graphs below.

Click to enlarge graph
Simulations
The simulations below were created using a combination of the ADAMS and Lifemodeler software packages.

The ADAMS package is an automotive/mechanical engineering software package that was purchased to research the interaction between the components that make up the Leatt-Brace™ through a variety of applications such as durability, impact and vibration testing.

The Lifemodeler package is a plug-in that is built on top of ADAMS and enables the Company to build human models within a mechanical environment (e.g. a man on a motorbike). This allows for the accurate measurement of forces, bending moments, etc. anywhere in the human model (e.g. the neck). Final Element Analysis is also used.

Extension
       
Comparison to Foam Collar




Flexion

Lateral Flexion

 BMW Pendulum Test


SABS Testing
Testing of early prototypes of the Leatt-Brace™ MOTO R was carried out at the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in 2004. and incorporated high speed video and digital camera capture and dummy sensor downloads. The tests were conducted with modified SABS protocols, thorax secured and sled speed of 49.7Kph; see Land Mobility Technologies (LMT) document R/1/00431/1 Issue 1, LMT P/2/00/00431, May 2004, and Development of improved Injury Criteria for the assessment of Advanced Automotive Restraint systems – 11, NHTSA 1999. In summary, the limitation in range of movement was as follows:

Test Helmet, no Brace With Leatt-Brace™
MOTO GPX
Flexion 90 Degrees 60 Degrees
Extension 85 Degrees 50 Degrees