Development of the Boundary Zone Method for Generation of Representative Human Models

Abstract

The present study developed a generation method of representative human models (RHMs) at a boundary zone which statistically accommodates a designated percentage of the target population. The boundary zone method proposed in the study consists of (1) identification of a boundary zone and (2) cluster analysis on cases within the identified boundary zone. The boundary zone of a designated accommodation percentage was formed by the normalized squared distance of each anthropometric case from the centroid of the target population. Cluster analysis was used to group homogenous cases within the boundary zone to reduce the number of the cases. A comprehensive evaluation under various combinations of anthropometric dimensions revealed that the average of multivariate accommodation percentages of the boundary zone method (91%) closer to the designated percentage (90%) than those of the existing generation methods (square method = 49%, circular method = 76%, and rectangular method = 96%).