three dimensional body scanning systems with potential for use in the apparel industry

63 Pages·2001·1.29 MB·English

THREE DIMENSIONAL BODY SCANNING SYSTEMS WITH
POTENTIAL FOR USE IN THE APPAREL INDUSTRY

By
SU-JEONG HWANG, B.S., M.S.

A paper (A-1) submitted to the Graduate Faculty of
North Carolina State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

Raleigh
2001
THREE DIMENSIONAL BODY SCANNING SYSTEMS WITH
POTENTIAL FOR USE IN THE APPAREL INDUSTRY

By
SU-JEONG HWANG, B.S., M.S.

A paper (A-1) submitted to the Graduate Faculty of
North Carolina State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy

TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
Raleigh
2001

APPROVED BY:
ABSTRACT
THREE DIMENSIONAL BODY SCANNING SYSTEMS WITH POTENTIAL
FOR USE IN THE APPAREL INDUSTRY
Su-Jeong Hwang, January, 2001
The technology of three dimensional human body scanning systems is used in
various applications, such as movies’ special effects, anthropology, hospitals, militaries,
and made to measure garments in apparel. The purpose of this study was to understand
the principles of the scanning system and to determine currently available 3D body
scanning systems that have feasibility for use in the apparel by an analysis and
comparison of the systems.
Nineteen companies have been investigated. Cyberware, Hamano, Vitronic,
TecMath, TC2, Telmat, Wicks and Wilson, and Hamamatsu are currently appropriate for
use in the apparel industry for measurement of human body size.
The principle of the 3D body scanning systems is based on optical triangulation
by non-contact methods using either laser or light projection systems. The body scanner
scans the surface of a three-dimensional object, projecting either laser or light, and using
vision devices to capture the shape of the object. The data from the scan is extracted by a
software program.
Cyberware, Vitronic, Hamano, TecMath, and Vitronic use a laser and TC2, Wicks
and Wilson, Telmat, and Hamamatsu use a light source and various techniques for
capture. TC2 and Wicks and Wilson use similar methods by using white light sources,
however Hamamatsu uses a near infrared light LED with PSD method.
By comparison of the scanning systems, I found that light projection types of
scanners, such as TC2 and Triform, are usually faster in scanning time but slower in
extraction of the measurement data than the Laser types. The Hamamatsu BL scanner,
using near infrared LED, and SYMCAD are faster in extraction time than the body
scanning systems which use a moiré technique method.
Three dimensional body scanning systems have advantages of accuracy and high
speed in the measuring process compared to the traditional tape method. It will be a
beneficial technology for the apparel industry in the development of mass customization.
Rapid 3D body scanning and data analysis can accurately specify uniform sizes to reduce
time, errors, and cost. However, problems have been found on missing data due to the
shading effects and inconsistency in body positioning.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Tables iii

List of Figures iv

Introduction 1

Objectives and Research Method 5

Principles of 3D Body Scanning Systems 6

Definition of Terms 6

Principles 7
Light Scanning Principle 9
Laser Scanning Principle 11
LED with PSD Principle 12

3D Body Scanning Systems 13

Light Based Systems 14
Shadow Scanning Systems 14
White Light Scanning Systems 18
Light Emitting Diodes (LED) 21
Other Light Based Scanning Systems 23

Laser Based Systems 25
Laser Scanning Systems 25
Other Laser Based Scanning Systems 33

Other Scanning Systems 33
A Dimension 3D System 33
A Surface Tracing System 34

Advantages of Body Scanning Systems 35

A Comparison of Scanner Specifications 36

Scanning Time 36

Physical Dimensions of Scanning Systems 37
Vision Device 39

Operating Requirements 43

Conclusion and Suggestions 49

References 52
iii
List of Tables
Table I. 3D Scanning Systems by Type 14
Table II. Comparison of Scanning Time 36
Table III. Comparison by Booth Size, Volume, and Data Size 38
Table IV. Light Source and Vision Devices 40
Table V. Comparison of the Computer Requirements 43
iv
List of Figures
Figure 1. A flow process of 3D body scanning systems 8
Figure 2. Additive and subtractive moiré methods 10
Figure 3. The shadow moiré system developed by Hong Kong Polytechnic
University 11

Figure 4. Strip scanning mode in laser scanning systems 12
Figure 5. LED with PSD systems 13
Figure 6. Loughborough Anthropometric Shadow Scanner (LASS) 15
Figure 7. Format of LASS shape matrix 16
Figure 8. Shadow grid lines seen in SYMCAD 17
Figure 9. SYMCAD Body Card information based on ISO 8559 17
Figure 10. TC2’s triangulation between projector camera and subject 19
Figure 11. TC2 scanning process with six views 19
Figure 12. Triform from Wicks & Wilson 21
Figure 13. Hamamatsu BL scanner’s 8 scanning head 22
Figure 14. A shadow moiré scanner at Hong Kong Polytechnic University 24
Figure 15. PULS scanning system’s arrangements 24
Figure 16. WB in Cyberware 26
Figure 17. Contour 28
Figure 18. Vitus Pro 3D scanner 29
Figure 19. PEDUS optical foot scanner 30
Figure 20. VOXELAN image process 31
Figure 21. VOXELAN multiple sections 32
Figure 22. Measurement of a horizontal section and a longitudinal section 32
1
THREE DIMENSIONAL BODY SCANNING SYSTEMS WITH POTENTIAL
FOR USE IN THE APPAREL INDUSTRY

Introduction
A very important first step in determining correct sizing or creating customized
garments is obtaining accurate measurements of the specific human body. Historically,
tailors and fashion designers have used measuring tapes to obtain the physical
measurements of the bodies they created for. This method has been time consuming,
invasive, and often inaccurate, based on who took the measurements and how they took
them. Until just recently, only tailors and couture houses actually still used real body
measurements to create or alter the clothing they produced. Mass production strategies of
the past 50 years encouraged the move from “garments made to fit” to “garments made to
size”. Unfortunately, the sizing systems that have developed through the years are
neither standardized nor related to the average human’s body measurements.
Most people have a problem with fit in the clothing that is currently available in
the marketplace, in one way or another. Many have learned to make do with the
garments available for purchase by avoiding certain features that always cause a fit
problem with their different than average figures or by obtaining the service of tailors or
alterations specialists. Others have simply learned to do without. Regardless, there is a
very large population of dissatisfied consumers today. This underlying dissatisfaction
provided impetus to the birth of the paradigm of mass customization.
In the apparel industry, the ability to customize garments for fit is directly tied to
the availability of a comprehensive, accurate set of measurements for each interested
2
consumer. Regardless of how one might perceive “fit” to be good or bad, it is impossible
to even get close to meeting the consumer’s perceptions of good fit without a set of
accurate measurements to begin with. To obtain accurate physical measurements, a basic
knowledge and set of skills are required that are not often found in the average
salesperson at a retail clothing outlet. In addition, most consumers are unwilling to take
time to be measured or subject themselves to the intrusion. A 1988 anthropometric
survey of US Army personnel required 4 hours to physically landmark, measure, and
record the data of one subject (Paquette, 1996). This demonstrates how time consuming
the traditional measurement process is.
The development of three dimensional body-scanning technologies may have
significant potential for use in the apparel industry, for a number of reasons. First, this
technology has the potential of obtaining an unlimited number of linear and non-linear
measurements of human bodies (in addition to other objects) in a matter of seconds.
Because an image of the body is captured during the scanning process, the location and
description of the measurements can be altered as needed in mere seconds, as well.
Second, the measurements obtained using this technology have the potential of being
more precise and reproducible than measurements obtained through the physical
measurement process. Third, with the availability of an infinite number of linear and
non-linear measurements the possibility exists for garments to be created to mold to the
three dimensional shapes of unique human bodies. Finally, the scanning technology
allows measurements to be obtained in a digital format that could integrate automatically
into apparel CAD systems without the human intervention that takes additional time and