Validation of a 3D whole-body scanning system to collect anthropometric data from a working-age population for ergonomic design

A fundamental aspect of ergonomic design is the incorporation of anthropometric data to ensure usability and correct fit. If anthropometric dimensions from ISO 7250-1 are collected with a 3D body scanning system, the comparability with the manual measuring methods needs to be investigated according to ISO 20685-1. Thus, the aim of this study was to validate the 3D whole-body scanner Vitus Bodyscan in combination with the Anthroscan software. In this context, furthermore the influence of a color landmarking procedure and the use of the proprietary Anthroscan algorithm to generate watertight meshes prior to the measurement process was examined. The validation study was conducted with a diverse group of 44 adults between the ages of 18 and 67 residing in Germany. Color landmarking was performed for 16 anatomical landmarks and four 3D data types were used to determine scan-derived anthropometric dimensions (point cloud, non-watertight mesh with color information, watertight mesh without and with color information). Results show that of the 32 analyzed anthropometric dimensions, comparable scan-derived values could be obtained for 20 (62.5%) of them using different types of 3D data. Various factors (e.g., posture and tissue compression) generally affect the comparability of the two measuring methods. Nevertheless, color landmarks substantially improved comparability for some anthropometric dimensions by reducing potential landmarking errors. These findings need be considered in the collection and utilization of anthropoemtric data using a comparable 3D body scanning system.