Mannequin Body Research Articles

Design and research on the posture-adjustable mannequin for chest-up and hunchbacked posture

The development of garment personalization has put forward diverse requirements for mannequins. In this paper, we present a garment mannequin that can continuously alter the body posture in response to changes in human body posture in the chest and back regions. This research is founded on an analysis of the patterns and ranges of movement in the mannequin's chest and hunchbacked motions. We segmented the mannequin into six modules: neck, front chest, back, left and right shoulders, and waist and abdomen. By employing stepper motors, we independently drive the front chest, back, and left and right shoulders to achieve the simulation and continuous adjustment of the mannequin's body posture for chest and hunchbacked positions. The comparison of the 3D scans shows that the mannequin fits well in several cross-sections with the corresponding body variations of real people, and the results of the real shirt also show that the shirt made based on the simulated hunchbacked body mannequin is significantly better than the standard shirt in terms of comfort and aesthetics for a person with a hunchbacked body posture. The body posture adjustable mannequin can replace multiple static mannequins, which can provide strong support for the business model of personalized clothing customization. Compared with the existing dynamic mannequin, it has the advantages of high relevance, simple structure and low production cost.

Combination of visuo-tactile and visuo-vestibular correlations in illusory body ownership and self-motion sensations.

Previous studies have shown that illusory ownership over a mannequin's body can be induced through synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation as well as through synchronous visuo-vestibular stimulation. The current study aimed to elucidate how three-way combinations of correlated visual, tactile and vestibular signals contribute to the senses of body ownership and self-motion. Visuo-tactile temporal congruence was manipulated by touching the mannequin's body and the participant's unseen real body on the trunk with a small object either synchronously or asynchronously. Visuo-vestibular temporal congruence was manipulated by synchronous or asynchronous presentation of a visual motion cue (the background rotating around the mannequin in one direction) and galvanic stimulation of the vestibular nerve generating a rotation sensation (in the same direction). The illusory experiences were quantified using a questionnaire; threat-evoked skin-conductance responses (SCRs) provided complementary indirect physiological evidence for the illusion. Ratings on the illusion questionnaire statement showed significant main effects of synchronous visuo-vestibular and synchronous visuo-tactile stimulations, suggesting that both of these pairs of bimodal correlations contribute to the ownership illusion. Interestingly, visuo-tactile synchrony dominated because synchronous visuo-tactile stimulation combined with asynchronous visuo-vestibular stimulation elicited a body ownership illusion of similar strength as when both bimodal combinations were synchronous. Moreover, both visuo-tactile and visuo-vestibular synchrony were associated with enhanced self-motion perception; self-motion sensations were even triggered when visuo-tactile synchrony was combined with visuo-vestibular asynchrony, suggesting that ownership enhanced the relevance of visual information as a self-motion cue. Finally, the SCR results suggest that synchronous stimulation of either modality pair led to a stronger illusion compared to the asynchronous conditions. Collectively, the results suggest that visuo-tactile temporal correlations have a stronger influence on body ownership than visuo-vestibular correlations and that ownership boosts self-motion perception. We present a Bayesian causal inference model that can explain how visuo-vestibular and visuo-tactile information are combined in multisensory own-body perception.

Perceptual illusion of body-ownership within an immersive realistic environment enhances memory accuracy and re-experiencing

SummaryOur bodies provide a necessary scaffold for memories of past events. Yet, we are just beginning to understand how feelings of one's own body during the encoding of realistic events shape memory. Participants formed memories for immersive, lifelike events by watching pre-recorded 3D videos that involved a first-person view of a mannequin's body through head mounted displays. We manipulated feelings of body ownership over the mannequin using a perceptual full-body illusion. Participants completed cued recall questions and subjective ratings (i.e., degree of reliving, emotional intensity, vividness, and belief in memory accuracy) for each video immediately following encoding and one week later. Sensing the mannequin's body as one's own during encoding enhanced the following factors: memory accuracy across testing points, immediate reliving, delayed emotional intensity, vividness, and belief in memory accuracy. These findings demonstrate that a basic sense of bodily selfhood provides a crucial foundation for the accurate reliving of the past.

The role of affective touch in whole-body embodiment remains equivocal.

Previous studies have highlighted that affective touch delivered at slow velocities (1-10cm/s) enhances body-part embodiment during multisensory illusions, yet its role towards whole-body embodiment is less established. Across two experiments, we investigated the role of affective touch towards subjective embodiment of a whole mannequin body within the full body illusion, amongst healthy females. Participants perceived affective touch to be more pleasant than non-affective touch, but this did not enhance subjective embodiment within the illusion and no interaction between synchrony (Experiment 1), or congruency (Experiment 2), and the velocity of touch was observed. Finally, the perceived pleasantness of touch was not modulated by subthreshold eating disorder psychopathology, as measured by means of a self-report questionnaire. Therefore, the present findings suggest that enhancement of embodiment due to affective touch may be body-part specific, and not generalise to greater ownership towards a whole body.

Embodied time and the out-of-body experience of the self.

Using an out-of-body paradigm, the present study provided further empirical evidence for the theory of embodied time by suggesting that the body-self plays a key role in time judgments. Looking through virtual reality glasses, the participants saw the arm of a mannequin instead of their own arm. They had to judge the duration of the interval between two (perceived) touches applied to the mannequin’s body after a series of strokes had been viewed being made to the mannequin and tactile strokes had been administered to the participants themselves. These strokes were administered either synchronously or asynchronously. During the interval, a pleasant (touch with a soft paintbrush) or an unpleasant stimulation (touch with a pointed knife) was applied to the mannequin. The results showed that the participants felt the perceived tactile stimulations in their own bodies more strongly after the synchronous than the asynchronous stroking condition, a finding which is consistent with the out-of-body illusion. In addition, the interval duration was judged longer in the synchronous than in the asynchronous condition. This time distortion increased the greater the individual out-of-body experience was. Our results therefore highlight the importance of the awareness of the body-self in the processing of time, i.e., the significance of embodied time.

The Effect of Visual Capture Towards Subjective Embodiment Within the Full Body Illusion

Typically, multisensory illusion paradigms emphasise the importance of synchronous visuotactile integration to induce subjective embodiment towards another body. However, the extent to which embodiment is due to the ‘visual capture’ of congruent visuoproprioceptive information alone remains unclear. Thus, across two experiments (total N = 80), we investigated how mere visual observation of a mannequin body, viewed from a first-person perspective, influenced subjective embodiment independently from concomitant visuotactile integration. Moreover, we investigated whether slow, affective touch on participants’ own, unseen body (without concomitant touch on the seen mannequin) disrupted visual capture effects to a greater degree than fast, non-affective touch. In total, 40% of participants experienced subjective embodiment towards the mannequin body following mere visual observation, and this effect was significantly higher than conditions which included touch to participants own, unseen body. The velocity of the touch that participants received (affective/non-affective) did not differ in modulating visual capture effects. Furthermore, the effects of visual capture and perceived pleasantness of touch was not modulated by subthreshold eating disorder psychopathology. Overall, this study suggests that congruent visuoproprioceptive cues can be sufficient to induce subjective embodiment of a whole body, in the absence of visuotactile integration and beyond mere confabulatory responses.

Full-body ownership illusion elicited by visuo-vestibular integration.

Vestibular signals allow us to maintain balance and orient ourselves in space. However, the possible contribution of the vestibular sense to the perception of the body as one's own (body ownership) remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate how vestibular information contributes to the experience of body ownership using multisensory integration. We conducted 3 studies using a "full-body ownership illusion" induced by virtual reality technology and galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS); the latter is a technique that allows for the selective stimulation of vestibular afferents. Participants wearing head-mounted displays saw a mannequin's body that was performing a slow swinging movement from a first-person perspective. At the same time, participants were exposed to GVS that elicited vestibular sensations of swinging whole-body movements in the corresponding direction. Perceived ownership of the seen body was measured using questionnaire ratings and skin-conductance responses to a knife threat toward the mannequin. We demonstrated that when participants were exposed to congruent visuo-vestibular information, they perceived a stronger ownership of the mannequin's body compared with when they were exposed to unimodal visual and vestibular conditions or an incongruent visuo-vestibular condition. The findings show that visuo-vestibular congruency is sufficient to increase the feeling of illusory body ownership of a mannequin's body. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

A Strategy to Generate a Reference Surface for Optical Surface Monitoring System for Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy

Optical Surface Monitoring System (OSMS) is being utilized in radiation therapy (RT) for patient setup, second check verification for localization, beam gating for respiratory motion, and prevention of intra-fractional dose delivery beyond a threshold displacement of the patient’s body surface to ensure precise RT delivery. The optimal application of OSMS is affected by the region of surface being selected and surface characteristics such as shape, location, area, and surface materials. In this study, a strategy to select an optimal reference surface was developed for stereotactic body radiation therapy with RapidArc delivery technique. A mannequin body surface was used for this study. Three priority variables were selected for optimization, including the surface location, area of surface, and materials on the surface. Mathematically, the reference surface selection function is represented by S (L, A, M, s(x, y, z), t). In this formula, L is location of RT isocenter, A is the avoided area, M is surface material, s(x, y, z) is the unit area variable, and t represents time. A total of five surface regions were analyzed. The surface locations of interest from superior to inferior were 1) vertex to neck, 2) between neck and nipple, 3) between nipple and umbilicus, 4) pelvis and 5) below pelvis to feet. Materials used included mannequin body surface, towel, pillow, paper, and plastic sheet from the BodyFIX (Elekta) immobilization system. The study also compared the static and motion status of the surface. An optimal empirical reference surface was attained so that the RapidArc RT delivery was functioning appropriately. In this simulation, the most sensitive gantry angle affected in selecting a reference surface is 30-60 and 330-300 degree. And the reference surface area in the axial regions is best to be avoided as about a 10 cm width strip along the 45 degree direction could not be visualized by the camera. The maximum benefit of OSMS to ensure accurate RT delivery can be achieved by selecting the optimal sensitive area for clinical application. Further study is needed to find an optimal quantitative function to auto process the surface selection procedure. Clinically, more information needs to be collected from other treatment techniques at different sensitivity requirements.

Emaciated mannequins: a study of mannequin body size in high street fashion stores

BackgroundThere is concern that the body size of fashion store mannequins are too thin and promote unrealistic body ideals. To date there has been no systematic examination of the size of high street fashion store mannequins.MethodsWe surveyed national fashion retailers located on the high street of two English cities. The body size of ‘male’ and ‘female’ mannequins was assessed by two blinded research assistants using visual rating scales.ResultsThe average female mannequin body size was representative of a very underweight woman and 100% of female mannequins represented an underweight body size. The average male mannequin body size was significantly larger than the average female mannequin body size. Only 8% of male mannequins represented an underweight body size.ConclusionsThe body size of mannequins used to advertise female fashion is unrealistic and would be considered medically unhealthy in humans.

Owning the body in the mirror: The effect of visual perspective and mirror view on the full-body illusion.

Mirrors allow us to view our own body from a third-person (observer) perspective. However, how viewing ourselves through a mirror affects central body representations compared with true third-person perspective is not fully understood. Across a series of experiments, multisensory full-body illusions were used to modulate feelings of ownership over a mannequin body that was viewed from a third-person perspective through a mirror, from a third-person perspective without a mirror, and from a first-person perspective. In contrast to non-mirror third-person perspective, synchronously touching the participant’s actual body and the mannequin body viewed in the mirror elicited strong feelings of ownership over the mannequin and increased physiological responses to the mannequin being threatened compared to the equivalent asynchronous (non-ownership) control condition. Subjective reports of ownership viewing the mannequin through a mirror were also statistically equivalent to those following the first-person perspective illusion. These findings suggest that mirrors have a special role for viewing the self. The results also support the importance of egocentric reference frames for body ownership and suggest that mirror reflections of one’s own body are related to peripersonal space, which enables updating of central body representations.

Now just relax, no one can see you

Over 15 years ago, psychologists found they could convince people that a rubber hand was their own by putting the fake hand on a table in front of them and stroking it and the person's own hand at the same time. In 2008, Henrik Ehrsson at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and his team extended this illusion to the full body by taking a life-size mannequin with cameras for eyes, and pointing its head towards its abdomen. A human volunteer stood facing the mannequin, and wore virtual reality goggles displaying a video feed from the mannequin's cameras. When researchers stroked both the volunteer's and the mannequin's abdomens at the same time using brushes, people reported feeling that the mannequin's body was their own.

QSPM and 7C’s Strategy for e-SCM Implementation Strategy (Case Study: XYZ Plastic Corporation)

Competition in the industrial world in the era of globalization is increasingly tight line with advances in information technology. Advances in information technology companies make every attempt to improve its internal business processes. To optimize its business processes, companies should not only be oriented to internal processes, but rather an external process that involves a relationship with the companies involved as a business. XYZ Corporation is a company engaged in manufacturing plastic household goods. The resulting products include a variety of bottles (which are used for soap, lotion, shampoo, and ink), bottle caps, cans, mannequin body fit, and others. XYZ is facing problems of a delay in arrival of raw materials, stock-checking errors, and delays in delivery of goods to the customer. Based on the problems that arise, the authors propose to use the e-SCM applications to XYZ because the e-SCM can help coordinate all the activities of the supply chain from raw material procurement to distribution to the customer, especially considering the number of suppliers that work with XYZ.

Illusory Changes in Body Size Modulate Body Satisfaction in a Way That Is Related to Non-Clinical Eating Disorder Psychopathology

Historically, body size overestimation has been linked to abnormal levels of body dissatisfaction found in eating disorders. However, recently this relationship has been called into question. Indeed, despite a link between how we perceive and how we feel about our body seeming intuitive, until now lack of an experimental method to manipulate body size has meant that a causal link, even in healthy participants, has remained elusive. Recent developments in body perception research demonstrate that the perceptual experience of the body can be readily manipulated using multisensory illusions. The current study exploits such illusions to modulate perceived body size in an attempt to influence body satisfaction. Participants were presented with stereoscopic video images of slimmer and wider mannequin bodies viewed through head-mounted displays from first person perspective. Illusory ownership was induced by synchronously stroking the seen mannequin body with the unseen real body. Pre and post-illusion affective and perceptual measures captured changes in perceived body size and body satisfaction. Illusory ownership of a slimmer body resulted in participants perceiving their actual body as slimmer and giving higher ratings of body satisfaction demonstrating a direct link between perceptual and affective body representations. Change in body satisfaction following illusory ownership of a wider body, however, was related to degree of (non-clinical) eating disorder psychopathology, which can be linked to fluctuating body representations found in clinical samples. The results suggest that body perception is linked to body satisfaction and may be of importance for eating disorder symptomology.

2287 – Size matters: investigating the link between affective and perceptual body representations using multisensory illusions

Introduction Negative feelings towards the body and body size misperception have long been associated with disordered eating behaviour. Over recent years the perceptual flexibility of the human body representation has been consistently demonstrated using multisensory perceptual illusions. Whether such perceptual changes can impact the emotional experience of our body, however, has yet to be explored. Objectives The current study exploits well-established perceptual body illusions to induce illusory ownership over slimmer and wider body shapes whilst measuring changes in body satisfaction. Aims To identify a direct causal link between perceptual and affective body representations. Methods Participants were presented with video images of both a slimmer and wider mannequin body viewed through head mounted displays from a first person perspective. Illusory ownership was induced by synchronously stroking the seen mannequin body with the unseen real body. Pre and post illusion affective and perceptual measures captured changes in perceive body size and body satisfaction as a result of the illusion. Results Illusory ownership of a slimmer body significantly increased feelings of body satisfaction as well as significantly decreasing perceived actual body width. Change in body satisfaction following illusory ownership of a wider body, however, was modulated by degree of sub clinical eating disorder pathology and did not induce a systematic change in perceived body width. Conclusions These findings suggest a link between perceived body size and body satisfaction, which may be modulated by eating disorder pathology. The results could have implications for future treatments of eating disorders.

Cognitive Neuroscience: Swapping Bodies in the Brain

A recent study has found that activity in multisensory brain areas, namely the premotor cortex, intraparietal cortex and the putamen, mirrors the vividness ofownership over a mannequin, induced by the body-swap illusion.

Effects of Mannequin and Walk-by Motion on Flow and Spillage Characteristics of Wall-Mounted and Jet-Isolated Range Hoods

Laser-assisted flow-visualization experiments and tracer gas concentration tests were conducted for the wall-mounted and jet-isolated range hoods to examine the physical mechanisms and relative magnitudes of hood spillages. The effects of a mannequin standing in front of the test rig and walk-by motions (which are situations always encountered in kitchens) were emphasized. The results showed that a mannequin (or a cook) standing in front of the counter would attract oil fumes toward the mannequin's body, induce large turbulent flows, and cause a significant dispersion of oil fumes into the environment through the front edge of the hood. Very high tracer gas concentrations were detected around the breathing zone of the mannequin. Increasing the suction flow rate did not reduce the spillage levels of the wall-mounted range hood but could moderately lower those of the jet-isolated hood. Serious spillages from both the wall-mounted and jet-isolated range hoods were detected as the simulated walk-by motion was performed. The jet-isolated range hood presented a much lower robustness in resisting the influence of people's walk-bys than did the wall-mounted range hood. In summary, both the wall-mounted and jet-isolated range hoods were vulnerable to the influences of a cook's presence and a cook's walk-by motions. Increasing the suction flow rate might not obtain satisfactorily low spillages of pollutants but might increase noise level and energy consumption.

Calculation of thermal insulation of clothing from mannequin test

Parallel and serial methods are available for calculating total thermal insulation of clothing measured via a heated mannequin. If constant skin temperature distribution over the mannequin body surface is achieved, the serial method consistently gives higher insulation value than the parallel method. Under the condition of inhomogeneous temperature distribution over the body surface, the serial method may yield lower insulation value than the parallel method if the clothing insulation distribution meets a certain condition. The parallel method should be employed to prevent garment manufacturers from manipulating insulation distribution to obtain a higher insulation value. The serial method is sensitive to high local insulation and is more informative with respect to the different parts of the clothing. In addition, the serial method is useful in applications of the segmented thermal model for predicting local thermal sensation.