Characterisation of Real-World Bus Acceleration and Deceleration Signals

Abstract

Public transportation by bus is an essential part of mobility. Braking and starting, e.g., approaching a bus stop, are documented as the main reason for non-collision incidents. These situations are evoked by the acceleration forces leading to perturbations of the passenger’s base of support. In laboratory studies perturbations are applied to getting insight into the postural control system and neuromuscular responses. However, bus perturbations diverge from laboratory ones with respect to duration, maximum and shape, and it was shown recently that these characteristics influence the postural response. Thus, results from posturographic studies cannot be generalised and transferred to bus perturbations. In this study, acceleration (ACC) and deceleration (DEC) signals of real traffic situations were examined. A mathematical approach is proposed in order to identify characteristics of these signals and to quantify their similarity and complexity. Typical characteristics (duration, maximum, and shape) of real-world driving manoeuvres concerning start and stop situations could be identified. A mean duration of 13.6 s for ACC and 9.8 s for DEC signals was found which is clearly longer than laboratory perturbations. ACC and DEC signals are more complex than the used signals for platform displacements in the laboratory. The proposed method enables the reconstruction of bus ACC and DEC signals. The data can be used as input for studies on postural control with high ecological validity.

Share and Cite:

M. Kirchner, P. Schubert and C. Haas, "Characterisation of Real-World Bus Acceleration and Deceleration Signals," Journal of Signal and Information Processing, Vol. 5 No. 1, 2014, pp. 8-13. doi: 10.4236/jsip.2014.51002.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] U. Reim and B. Reichel, “Öffentlicher Personenverkehr mit Bussen und Bahnen 2011,” Technical Report, Statistisches Bundesamt, Wirtschaft und Statistik, 2013.
[2] P. Halpern, M. Siebzehner, D. Aladgem, P. Sorkine and R. Bechar, “Non-Collision Injuries in Public Buses: A National Survey of a Neglected Problem,” Emergency Medicine Journal, Vol. 22, No. 2, 2005, pp. 10-110.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emj.2003.013128
[3] A. Kirk, R. Grant and R. Bird, “Passenger Casulaties in Non-Collision Incidents on Buses and Coaches in Great Britain,” Proceedings of the 18th International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, Nagoya, 2003.
[4] P. Albertsson and T. Falkmer, “Is There a Pattern in European Bus and Coach Incidents? A Literature Analysis with Special Focus on Injury Causation and Injury Mechanisms,” Accident Analysis & Prevention, Vol. 37, No. 2, 2005, pp. 225-233.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2004.03.006
[5] ECBOS, “Task 1.1 Statistical Collection,” Concept Report (Annex, No. 1:1), Technical Report, Technical University Graz, 2001.
[6] U. Björnstig, P. Albertsson, J. Björnstig, P.-O. Bylund, T. Falkmer and J. Petzäll, “Injury Events among Bus and Coach Occupants—Non-Crash Injuries as Important as Crash Injuries,” IATSS Research, Vol. 29, No. 1, 2005, pp. 79-87.
[7] F. B. Horak, S. M. Henry and A. Shumway-Cook, “Postural Perturbations: New Insights for Treatment of Balance Disorders,” Physical Therapy, Vol. 77, No. 5, 1997, pp. 517-533.
[8] L. M. Nashner, “Adapting Reflexes Controlling the Human Posture,” Experimental Brain Research, Vol. 26, No. 1, 1976, pp. 59-72.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00235249
[9] B. E. Maki, P. J. Holliday and G. R. Fernie, “Aging and postural control. A comparison of Spontaneousand Induced-Sway Balance Tests,” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Vol. 38, No. 1, 1990, pp. 1-9.
[10] H. Trivedi, J. A. Leonard, L. H. Ting and P. J. Stapley, “Postural Responses to Unexpected Perturbations of Balance during Reaching,” Experimental Brain Research, Vol. 202, No. 2, 2010, pp. 485-491.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00221-009-2135-4
[11] L. Brown, J. Jensen, T. Korff and M. Woollacott, “The Translating Platform Paradigm: Perturbation Displacement Waveform Alters the Postural Response,” Gait Posture, Vol. 14, No. 3, 2001, pp. 256-263.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0966-6362(01)00131-X
[12] M. Tillmann, P. Schubert, T. Getrost, D. Schmidtbleicher and C. Haas, “Pattern Analysis of Perturbations in Public Transport,” VII International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) Congress “Healthy and Active Ageing for All Europeans II”, Bologna, 2011, p. 223.
[13] C. Tokuno, A. Cresswell, A. Thorstensson and M. Carpenter, “Age-Related Changes in Postural Responses Revealed by Support-Surface Translations with a Long Acceleration-Deceleration Interval,” Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 121, No. 1, 2010, pp. 109-117.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2009.09.025
[14] A. Palacio, G. Tamburro, D. ONeill and C. Simms, “Non-Collision Injuries in Urban Buses—Strategies for Prevention,” Accident Analysis & Prevention, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2009, pp. 1-9.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2008.08.016
[15] J. Visser, M. Carpenter, H. van der Kooij and B. Bloem, “The Clinical Utility of Posturography,” Clinical Neurophysiology, Vol. 119, No. 11, 2008, pp. 2424-2436.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2008.07.220
[16] J. Kavanagh and H. Menz, “Accelerometry: A Technique for Quantifying Movement Patterns during Walking,” Gait Posture, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2008, pp. 1-15.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2007.10.010
[17] C. T. Haas, P. Schubert, M. Kirchner, T. Getrost and M. Liebherr, “Der Stehende Fahrgast im Stadtbus. Biomechanische Anforderungen und assoziiertes Sturzrisiko,” Der Nahverkehr, Vol. 31, No. 6, 2013, pp. 51-55.
[18] B. D. Graaf and W. V. Weperen, “The Retention of Balance: An Exploratory Study into the Limits of Acceleration the Human Body Can Withstand without Losing Equilibrium,” Human Factors, Vol. 39, No. 1, 1997, pp. 111-118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1518/001872097778940614
[19] J. Zaworski, K. Hunter-Zaworski and M. Baldwin, “Bus Dynamics for Mobility-Aid Securement Design,” Assistive Technology, Vol. 19, No. 4, 2007, pp. 200-209.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10400435.2007.10131877
[20] M. Carpenter, A. Thorstensson and A. Cresswell, “Deceleration Affects Anticipatory and Reactive Components of Triggered Postural Responses,” Experimental Brain Research, Vol. 167, No. 3, 2005, pp. 433-445.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00221-005-0049-3
[21] J. S. Frank and A. E. Patla, “Balance and Mobility Challenges in Older Adults. Implications for Preserving Community Mobility,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Vol. 25, No. 3, 2003, pp. 157-163.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(03)00179-X
[22] T. Robert, P. Beillas, A. Maupas and J. P. Verriest, “Conditions of Possible Head Impacts for Standing Passengers in Public Transportation: An Experimental Study,” International Journal of Crashworthiness, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2007, pp. 319-327.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13588260701433552
[23] B. E. Maki and W. E. McIlroy, “The Role of Limb Movements in Maintaining Upright Stance: The ‘Change-inSupport’ Strategy,” Physical Therapy, Vol. 77, 1997, pp. 488-507.
[24] L. H. Ting, K. W. van Antwerp, J. E. Scrivens, J. L. McKay, T. D. Welch and J. T. Bingham, “Neuromechanical Tuning of Nonlinear Postural Control Dynamics,” Chaos, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2009, Article ID: 026111.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3142245
[25] J. T. Cavanaugh, K. M. Guskiewicz and N. Stergiou, “A Nonlinear Dynamic Approach for Evaluating Postural Control: New Directions for the Management of SportRelated Cerebral Concussion,” Sports Medicine, Vol. 35, No. 11, 2005, pp. 935-950.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200535110-00002.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.