Testing tank recoil effects on crew

Any armoured fighting vehicle experiences recoil and shock during movement on rough terrain, firing its main gun or hitting a mine. The most vulnerable of all is the crew which operates the tank. High impulse shock loads can cause a decrease in combat performance or partial crew incapacitation. Such instances carry the risk of head injury. Most dynamic impacts inside an armoured vehicle are transmitted to operators through the seats. While there are protective measures in place, like padded tank helmets and dampening seating (driver only), these may not be enough when MBTs are equipped with more powerful cannons, which exceed the expected recoil absorption provided by the chassis they are mounted on. 

Historically, test facilities were geared toward validating individual components for resistance to external factors like high-impact pulse loads. Ergonomic testing for crew protection was performed mainly in field tests, near the end of development. 

While computer-aided systems existed in the late 1980s to help model crew ergonomic performance, they weren't sufficiently advanced to perform complex tasks. Instead, mechanical systems were developed to provide real-time simulations. One of these systems was the ID-6, a six-step motion simulation platform. 

The ID-6 was used to determine various measurements, including vibro-shock acceleration at crew positions, linear head displacement of the crew relative to the vehicle interior, and relative velocities of operator motion, especially head movement and head impact velocities with interior components. 

Driver's head motion during simulated shooting 

The ID-6 simulator was one of several systems used by the Russian military industrial complex to simulate recoil shock impulses. 

Taken from: 

    1. Жартовский, Г. С. Исследования действия собственного выстрела на экипаж бронеобъекта / Г. С. Жартовский, В. Н. Лукъянов, Е. В. Погудин // Вопросы оборонной техники. Серия 16: Технические средства противодействия терроризму. – 2011.