Segment inertial parameters of Korean adults estimated from three-dimensional body laser scan data

In this study, body segment parameters of Korean adults were estimated using the three-dimensional (3D) body scan data from the SizeKorea database. Mass-inertial parameters and segment dimensions of 40 male subjects and 40 female subjects (18–59 years old) were estimated using a 16-segment model under the assumption that each segment has a constant density distribution after reconstructing the scan data. Therefore, several sets of linear regression functions based on gender, stature, and weight were established, which provided a convenient method for estimating body segment parameters of Korean adults. The obtained mass ratios of body segments were compared with those for Russians reported by Zatsiorsky and Seluyanov (1983) and for those for Chinese and Germans reported by Shan and Bohn (2003), in which the same 16-segment model was used. In addition, the results were compared with the Korean data results reported by Jung, 1993 and Lim, 1994, and Park et al. (1999). These comparisons revealed that Asians have larger head mass ratios and smaller lower limb mass ratios than Caucasians, while the differences in the head mass ratios between males and females from the same ethnic groups were not significant. Females were found to have larger mass ratios for the lower torso and smaller mass ratios for the upper torso, middle torso, upper arm, forearm, foot, and hand, as compared to males from the same ethnic groups. In addition, the data obtained by different researchers were compared, thereby showing high reproducibility of our method.Relevance to industryThe obtained segment parameters can be used to define digital human models and applied to the fields of ergonomics and biomechanics, such as for workspace design, furniture design, vehicle interior design, and human movement analysis.