Daehan Jung

Analysis of the facial measurements of Korean Air Force pilots for oxygen mask design

This study measured the facial dimensions of Korean Air Force (KAF) pilots, to design a pilot oxygen mask, and compared them with those of Korean civilians and US Air Force (USAF) personnel. Twenty-two facial dimensions were measured for 278 KAF male pilots (KMP) and 58 KAF female pilots and cadets (KFP) using an anthropometer and a three-dimensional scanner. The KMP face measurements were found to be significantly larger (mean difference, = 0.7–26.5 mm) and less varied (ratio of SDs = 0.29–0.82) than those of Korean male civilians. The average face length, lip width and nasal root breadth of the KMP were significantly longer ( = 4.7 mm), narrower ( = − 2.4 mm), and wider ( = 5.2 mm), respectively, than those of USAF male personnel. Lastly, the KMP face measurements were significantly larger ( = 1.8–26.1 mm) than those of the KFP. Practitioner Summary: The face measurements of KAF pilots were collected and compared with those of Korean civilians and USAF personnel. The distinct facial features of the populations identified in this study are applicable to custom design of an oxygen mask for prevention of excessive pressure and oxygen leakage.

Ergonomic Design and Evaluation of a Pilot Oxygen Mask

The present study developed a virtual fit assessment (VFA) method to design an oxygen mask which fits Korean Air Force (KAF) pilots. The VFA method used 3D face scan data of 336 KAF pilots to find the most proper shape of an oxygen mask for KAF pilots. The oxygen mask design revised in the study showed a 27% design improvement effect on average in terms of fit evaluated by the VFA method. Additionally, the present study evaluated the revised oxygen mask prototypes with 88 KAF pilots to experimentally verify the design improvement effect in terms of discomfort, pressure, and suitability for military equipment (slippage and stability in flight-like situations). The discomfort of the revised mask was 33 ~ 56% lower on average than the existing oxygen mask. In terms of the pressure, the revised mask showed 11 ~ 33% of improvement on average compared to the existing mask. Furthermore, on high gravity situation, the slippage distance of the revised mask was 24% shorter on average than the existing mask. The proposed VFA method can be applied to the design and evaluation of wearable products that require an ergonomically better fit for a target population.