Title: Digital human models in automotive engineering applications: a bibliometric analysis of research progress and prospects

Authors: Jian Li; Peijing Li; Jingwen Hu

Addresses: Department of Fashion Design and Engineering, College of Fashion and Design, Donghua University, Shanghai, 200051, China ' Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, College of Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA ' University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109, USA

Abstract: Digital human models (DHMs) with high levels of customisation and realism have been widely employed in automotive engineering. Despite studies investigating the use of DHMs in specific domains, there is a lack of comprehensive analyses that evaluate the research trends of the field as a whole. This review proposes and employs a comprehensive, reproducible, and systematic bibliometric analysis approach, inspired by the PRISMA guidelines, to summarise the current state and challenges of DHMs in automotive engineering and to outline future directions. First, this review presents the general bibliometric distributions of publication and citation growth, research areas, keyword distribution, and thematic evolution. Furthermore, it offers an all-inclusive review of the development, validation, and application of DHMs in various fields of automotive engineering, including ergonomic design and safety evaluation. Finally, the prospects and challenges of DHMs are discussed to provide a novel perspective to promote the advancement of this field.

Keywords: DHMs; digital human models; automotive engineering; vehicle ergonomics; crash safety; bibliometric analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2024.137303

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2024 Vol.94 No.3/4, pp.321 - 356

Received: 24 Nov 2022
Accepted: 29 Sep 2023
Published online: 11 Mar 2024 *

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