3D Technologies - NRC-IIT

The Human Shape Variability Study

There is a need for information on the shape of the human body in a number of sectors, in particular for the design of clothing, automobile passenger compartments, cockpits, workspaces and prostheses. This is the role of anthropometry, which is defined as the study of measurements of the human body.

Example of 3D anthropometry - Click for full view

The Human Shape Variability Study, a collaborative research project of the National Research Council Institute for Information Technology (NRC-IIT), was launched in September 2000 with the goal of meeting the need for information on the human shape. The project, scheduled to end in September 2004, is being carried out in collaboration with the anthropometry research laboratory that piloted the CAESAR project in Dayton, Ohio, and the École de technologie supérieure (ETS) [higher school of technology] in Montreal.

Example of 3D anthropometry - Click for full view

Traditionally, measurements of the human shape involved the linear distances between anatomic landmarks and the circumference values at predefined locations. Practically, such measurements are limited to a set of about 100 values. The challenge now with 3D visualization technology is to analyze human shape variability using statistical methods applied to a very large data set.

The goal of the Human Shape Variability Study is to develop tools to analyze human shape variability using 3D digitized files. For the first stage of the project, the creation of a 3D database, a digitizer is required to capture the measurements of the human shape. Then, lightweight representations of geometric files produced by 3D sensors are created. Although there are several options for generating shape descriptors, it is important here to ensure that geometric reconstruction is possible. The results of the shape variability analysis should be subjected to human observation.

Two methods were explored for this project, one based on eigenvectors and the other on a lightweight geometric representation using extended hyperquadrics.

The expected results consist of the visualization and classification of the main human shape variabilities in the CAESAR Database. These research results will be used to improve the design of products for human use in the aeronautics, automobile, workspace and clothing sectors.

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Research Contact

Jacques Domey
Group Leader
Visual Information Technology
NRC Institute for Information Technology
1200 Montreal Road
Building M-50, Room 341
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
Telephone: +1 (613) 993-2557
Fax: +1 (613) 952-0215
E-mail: Jacques.Domey@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Dr. Zouhour Ben Azouz
Research Associate
Visual Information Technology
NRC Institute for Information Technology
1200 Montreal Road
Building M-50, Room 353
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
Telephone: +1 (613) 998-5372
E-mail: Zouhour.BenAzouz@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Business Contact

Charles Gauthier
Business Development Officer
Business Development Office, NCR
NRC Institute for Information Technology
1200 Montreal Road
Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6
Telephone: +1 (613) 993-2491
Fax: +1 (613) 952-7998
E-mail: Charles Gauthier