Beatriz Nacher

A protocol for evaluating the accuracy of 3D body scanners.

Scan-derived landmarks locations and surface shapes are more and more used, but there is no commonly accepted protocol for evaluating the accuracy of these measurements. Therefore we propose a protocol for evaluating the accuracy of surface shape and the repeatability of scan-derived landmark locations. According to existing Japanese and German domestic standards, we propose to use an artefact (e.g. sphere with diameter of about 120 mm) calibrated very accurately for evaluating the accuracy of scanner-systems. For evaluating the repeatability of landmark locations, we propose to use an anthropomorphic dummy with landmark locations premarked. These test objects are measured by a 3D body scanner to be evaluated. Evaluation parameters such as trueness, precision, and repeatability are calculated from the measured data. A round-robin test was conducted in six different institutes using 17 body/head/foot scanners produced by eight companies. The purposes of the roundrobin test were to evaluate the availability of test objects to different body scanners, and to examine the measurement locations of test objects and quality parameters to be reported. As a result, the proposed test objects could be measured and the data exported by all scanner systems except one, which could not export the ball measurement. For a comparative purpose, a figure of measured surface might be useful.

Anthropometric Survey of the Spanish Female Population Aimed at the Apparel Industry

Sizing systems used by the apparel industry are not always accurately optimized to fit the majority of a specific population. One of the main problems to develop new patterns and grade to all sizes is the lack of updated anthropometrical data. Additionally, ‘vanity sizing’, where companies often adjust the measurement specifications for each size based on a sale strategy designed to make consumers, especially women, feel better about fitting into smaller sizes [1] [2] [3]. This and the lack of international common standards to size clothing contribute to difficult customers to find the correct size In this context, the Instituto Nacional de Consumo (INC) of the Spanish Ministry of Health, supported by the main Spanish companies of the apparel industry, proposed the Biomechanical Institute of Valencia to carry out an anthropometric study to characterize the morphology of the female population in Spain. The target sample of the national campaign was 10.141 women grouped into 10 age ranges from 12 to 70 years. The measurements were made in 61 different locations, representing the seven Spanish NUT areas (statistical territorial units defined by the European Community). Using a 3D body scanner (Vitus Smart from Vitronic), two scanning postures were registered for each subject. Weight measure and a socio-demographic survey including questions about apparel purchase habits were included in the measurement protocol. The sample was randomly selected based on the census of the population of each town and city, considering age as the control variable. The management of contacts and appointments of the selected users was guided by the Ministry of Health, and the participation was voluntary. The objective of this paper is to present the methodology of the national measurement campaign and the main results obtained from the preliminary analysis: anthropometric measures, morphotypes and their evolution with the age, which could be applied to improve the apparel fitting.

The MORFO3D foot database

A foot database comprising 3D foot shapes and footwear fitting reports of more than 300 participants is presented. It was primarily acquired to study footwear fitting, though it can also be used to analyse anatomical features of the foot. In fact, we present a technique for automatic detection of several foot anatomical landmarks, together with some empirical results.

3D-Based Resources Fostering the Analysis, Use, and Exploitation of Available Body Anthropometric Data

Today, there is an increasing availability of human body 3D data and an increasing number of anthropometric owners. This is due to the fact of the progressive conduction of large national surveys using high resolution 3D scanners and due to the increasing number of low-cost technologies for acquiring body shape with electronic consumer devices like webcams, smartphones or Kinect. However, the commercial use and exploitation in industry of digital anthropometric data is still limited to the use of 1D measurements extracted from this vast 3D information. There is a lack of universal resources enabling: to conjointly use and analyse datasets regardless from the source or type of scanning technology used, the flexible measurement extraction beyond pre-defined sets, and the analysis of the information contained in human shapes. This paper presents four software tool solutions aimed at addressing different user profiles and needs regarding the use and exploitation of the increasing number of 3D anthropometric data

Low-cost 3D foot scanner using a mobile app

The major finding of the present study was that the KS was improved around 10% with the use of IACS. No statistically significant difference was found in BV, PC, AS and IF. However, there was a trend that the AS and PC increased 9% and 5%, respectively. The significant increase of KS and a trend of increase of AS could possibly be explained by the foot arch and heel cup support which can provide evenly distributing pressure under the feet, maintaining alignment of the skeleton of lower extremity and further resulting in the KS and AS (Mulford et al., 2008). However, we found that the BV and PC were not statistically significant between IACS and FI. Although previous study indicated that one of the key factor of BV and PC was the ability to drive the body over a stabilized stride leg (Kageyama et al., 2014), this little improvement of BV and PC might be explained by the high level of the subjects in this study. Further study could include subjects of low level. Previous study indicated that the insole was one of the important factors for attenuating the IM (Chiu and Shiang, 2007). However, IM attenuation could be influenced by insole thickness or stiffness. Therefore, we suggested that thickness or stiffness of IACS was probably not enough to attenuate the IM. In conclusion, IACS provided KS and AS during baseball pitching.

Data-driven three-dimensional reconstruction of human bodies using a mobile phone app

The advances and availability of technologies for the acquisition, registration and analysis of the three-dimensional (3D) shape of human bodies (or body parts) are resulting in the formation of large databases of parameterised meshes from which digital human body models can be derived. Such models can be used for the data-driven reconstruction of parameterised human body shapes from partial information such as one-dimensional (1D) measurements or 2D images. In this paper, we propose a new method for the reconstruction of 3D bodies from images gathered with a smartphone or tablet. Moreover, the method is implemented into a prototype app and tested at different levels through three experimental studies including synthetic models, 1:10 scale figurines and real children. The results demonstrate the feasibility of acquiring reliable anthropometric information easily at home by non-experts. This method and implementation have great potential for their application to the personalisation, size recommendation and virtual try-on simulation of wearable products.

3D Body Databases of the Spanish Population and its Application to the Apparel Industry

Since the year 2000, many anthropometric surveys have been conducted across the world using 3D body scanning technologies, most of them addressed to the apparel industry. This paper describes the application to the apparel industry of the 3D Spanish surveys (female, male and children) conducted from 2007 to 2015 by IBV gathering over 12.000 individual scans. It also presents tools that will help the apparel manufacturers and retailers to make an effective use of Spanish databases in the design as well as in the labelling of products addressed to the Spanish market and following the forthcoming size designation interval standards (EN 13402). These tools consist of a website providing with the basic anthropometric statistics, two books with the population measurements by age range (one for female and one for male populations), a collection of digital mannequins and a collection of physical mini-mannequins (scale 1/20). Moreover, the access to the 3D databases makes possible to IBV to extend the use of these data for the provision of new consultancy services for clothing companies about how to improve garment design and fitting.

Exploitation of 3D Body Databases to Improve Size Selection on the Apparel Industry

Nowadays each clothing company defines its own sizing chart to label the garment. The lack of regulations and the different labelling methods used on each country contribute to have a confusing buying process for the end users in terms of garment size selection. Depending on the brand, the customer selection can vary several sizes. This makes that customers need to try on many sizes to select the suitable one during the buying process. This is one of the main barriers to the growth of the online sales in the fashion market. The high number of returns and their associated costs (e.g. management, logistics and operations) represent an important economic burden for fashion companies. A large number of technological solutions have emerged in the past years to help buyers in size selection, including commercial technologies to capture body dimensions, to predict the best-fitted size and to provide a fitting visualization. Nevertheless, these technologies have not achieved a compromise between cost, efficacy and accuracy enabling an extensive market penetration. Garment size selection from the anthropometry of the user body could be an interesting approach for e-Commerce. However, the current approaches have not been revealed as the definitive solution. A sizing system based on anthropometry requires the integration of technology and knowledge; namely, the acquisition and processing of the user anthropometry and garment fitting prediction. There are many alternatives to register the anthropometry of the user: from accurate and expensive 3D body scanners to solutions based on Electronic Consumer Goods (e.g. Microsoft kinect, webcams). Accuracy, accessibility and usability are important requirements of a body measuring system that enables the size selection. The use of 3D body databases to guide the reconstruction of 3D body shape could be an interesting approach to progress in this way. The analysis of large 3D body pools using advanced 3D body shape modelling has also experienced a breakthrough. Research work conducted in the reconstruction of 3D body shapes from body measurements or from only two or three 2D contours using 3D body databases opens the door to the feasibility of having low cost scanners with an acceptable accuracy for size selection. By contrast, the fitting prediction, understood as the relationship between the body anthropometry and the garment dimensions, has not been studied in depth. The fitting of the garment and the selection of the proper garment size depend on many factors (e.g. style, anthropometry, textile, personal preferences), hence, the use of size charts is not enough to obtain successful results. The aim of the this paper is to present a proposal of new methods for the development size selection systems based on a 3D body acquisition process using 3D body reconstruction and a multi-fitting approach to predict garment size.

A Protocol for Evaluating the Accuracy of 3D Body Scanners - Landmark Locations and Surface Shape

We propose a protocol for evaluating the accuracy of scan-derived surface shape and the repeatability of scan-derived landmark locations. Following existing Japanese and German domestic standards, we propose to use a calibrated artefact (e.g. a sphere about 120 mm in diameter) for evaluating the accuracy of surface shape. To evaluate the repeatability of landmark locations, we propose to use an anthropomorphic dummy with premarked landmark locations. The test objects are measured by the 3D body scanner to be evaluated, and evaluation parameters are calculated from the measured data. A round-robin test was conducted in six different institutes using 19 body/head/foot scanners produced by 10 companies/institutes. The purposes of the round-robin test were to evaluate whether the test objects could be scanned by different body scanners, to evaluate various scan locations for the test objects within the scanning volume, and to examine the quality parameters to be reported. As a result, the proposed test objects could be measured and the data exported by all systems except one, which did not export the ball measurement. Quality parameters are useful for quantifying the accuracy of scan-derived surface shape and repeatability of landmark locations, and providing a basis for the agreement between anthropometric data providers and data users. Since required accuracy depends on applications, it is important to examine results from different scan locations to evaluate the quality of scan-derived measurements rather than considering only the worst case.

Fast, Portable and Low-Cost 3D Foot Digitizers: Validity and Reliability of Measurements

This paper presents partial results of a larger validation study of two innovative products based on Data-driven 3D Reconstruction (D3DR) technology: a smartphone app, Avatar3D, and a portable booth, DomeScan. This study quantifies the reliability (Standard Error of Measurement, SEM, Intra-class Correlation Coefficient, ICC) of the automatic foot measurements elicited by these solutions and compares it to traditional anthropometry and to a commercial laser foot scanner. Moreover, it assesses the compatibility (systematic bias) of measurements among these techniques. The results show that, for the six measurements assessed, D3DR is as reliable as high resolution 3D scanners and more reliable than manual measurements made by an expert. Due to its lower cost, speed and portability they could be more suitable for retail and home environments than actual 3D scanners.