A low-cost three-dimensional laser surface scanning approach for defining body segment parameters

Petros Pandis,Anthony Mj Bull

doi:10.1177/0954411917727031

Abstract

Body segment parameters are used in many different applications in ergonomics as well as in dynamic modelling of the musculoskeletal system. Body segment parameters can be defined using different methods, including techniques that involve time-consuming manual measurements of the human body, used in conjunction with models or equations. In this study, a scanning technique for measuring subject-specific body segment parameters in an easy, fast, accurate and low-cost way was developed and validated. The scanner can obtain the body segment parameters in a single scanning operation, which takes between 8 and 10 s. The results obtained with the system show a standard deviation of 2.5% in volumetric measurements of the upper limb of a mannequin and 3.1% difference between scanning volume and actual volume. Finally, the maximum mean error for the moment of inertia by scanning a standard-sized homogeneous object was 2.2%. This study shows that a low-cost system can provide quick and accurate subject-specific body segment parameter estimates.

Highlights

Body segment parameters (BSPs) are used in many different applications in ergonomics, but they can be used in inverse dynamic modelling of the musculoskeletal system in which the human body is modelled as a linked-segment system
BSPs are quantified in different ways as follows: through the use of regression equations, geometrical modelling and direct measurement techniques, such as scanning technology
Regression equations are most commonly used with variables such as body mass (BM) and body height (BH) as the only input variables,[2] where others include sex[3] or race and age.[4,5,6]

Summary

Introduction

Body segment parameters (BSPs) are used in many different applications in ergonomics, but they can be used in inverse dynamic modelling of the musculoskeletal system in which the human body is modelled as a linked-segment system. It has been shown that different BSP measurement techniques can affect musculoskeletal kinetic analysis by up to 20%.1. BSPs are quantified in different ways as follows: through the use of regression equations, geometrical modelling and direct measurement techniques, such as scanning technology. Regression equations are most commonly used with variables such as body mass (BM) and body height (BH) as the only input variables,[2] where others include sex[3] or race and age.[4,5,6] Geometrical modelling techniques use a mathematical model of the human body based on experimentally determined distribution of mass and standard anthropometric dimensions of the subject. Scanning technology includes various different medical imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT),[7,8] magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),[9,10,11] dual-energy

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