From XS to XL: Statistical Modeling of Human Body Shape using 3D Surface scans 2004-01-2183

The increasing trend towards larger body mass in work force and consumer populations poses a challenge for accommodating and fitting the shifting range of variation. The change of body shape and proportions under the influence of weight can be addressed with multivariate statistical approaches, common in allometry studies that use whole body models. We present results of a multivariate allometry study applied to the human body. 3-dimensional outline data were extracted from whole body surface scans (CAESAR) and analyzed using a combination of geometric morphometrics techniques and Elliptic Fourier Analysis. The results show that there is an overall allometric effect of relative body weight onto body shape, but that different portions of the population are affected differently by this allometry. The results can be used to accurately predict body shape associated with an increase in body weight, and therefore provide data that are of value to a wide range of manufacturing and design applications.