Anthropometrics

Anatomical Frames of Reference

Planes of Motion

Transverse Plane

Frontal Plane

Sagittal Plane
2

Relative Position

Posterior
Lateral

Lateral

Medial

Medial

Anterior
Top View (Transverse Plane)

A
B
C
A

Relative Position
Point A is Proximal to point B
Point B is Proximal to point C
Point A is Proximal to point C

Point C is Distal to point B

Point B is Distal to point A
Point C is Distal to point A

C
4

What is Anthropometrics?
The application of scientific physical measurement

techniques on human subjects in order to design

standards, specifications, or procedures.
Anthropos (greek) = person, human being
Metron (greek) = measure, limit, extent
Anthropometrics = measurement of people

Static Dimensions

Definition: Measurements taken when the

human body is in a fixed position, which typically

involves standing or sitting.
Types

Size: length, height, width, thickness

Distance between body segment joints
Weight, Volume, Density = mass/volume
Circumference
Contour: radius of curvature
Centre of gravity
Clothed vs. unclothed dimensions
Standing vs. seated dimensions
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Static
Dimensions
[Source: Kroemer, 1989]
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Static Dimensions
Static Dimensions are related to and vary with other
factors, such as
Age
Gender
Ethnicity
Occupation
Percentile within Specific Population Group
Historical Period (diet and living conditions)

Static Dimensions
AGE

Lengths
and
Heights

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Age (years)
9

Static Dimensions
GENDER

[Sanders &
McCormick]
10

Static Dimensions
ETHNICITY

[Sanders &
McCormick]
11

Static Dimensions
OCCUPATION
e.g. Truck drivers are taller & heavier than general
population
e.g. Underground coal miners have larger
circumferences (torso, arms, legs)
Reasons
Employer imposed height and weight restrictions
Employee self-selection for practical reasons
Amount and type of physical activity involved
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Static Dimensions
PERCENTILE within Specific Population Group
Normal or Gaussian
Data Distribution
No. of
Subjects

5th percentile =
5 % of subjects
have dimension
below this value

Dimension
(e.g. height,
weight, etc.)

50 %
95 %

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Static Dimensions
HISTORICAL PERIOD
(Europe, US, Canada, Australia)

Increase
in
Average
Adult
Height
(inches)

4 inch increase in 8 decades

1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990

Decade

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Dynamic (Functional) Dimensions

Definition: Measurements taken when the human

body is engaged in some physical activity.

Types: Static Dimensions (adjusted for movement),
Rotational Inertia, Radius of Gyration
Principle 1 - Estimating
Conversion of Static Measures for Dynamic
Situations

e.g. dynamic height = 97% of static height

e.g. dynamic arm reach = 120% of static arm length

Principle 2 - Integrating
The entire body operates together to determine the

value of a measurement parameter

e.g. Arm Reach = arm length + shoulder movement +

partial trunk rotation and + some back bending + hand
movement
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Dynamic (Functional) Dimensions

[Source: North, 1980]

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Measurement of
Anthropometric
Dimensions

17

Segment Lengths: Link/Hinge Model

Segments are modeled as rigid mechanical links of

known physical shape, size, and weight.

Joints are modeled as single-pivot hinges.
Standard points of reference on human body are
defined in the scientific literature and are not
arbitrarily used in ergonomics
Less than 5% error by this approximation
L
Segment
Joint or Hinge
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Segment Lengths: Link/Hinge Model

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Segment Density

D = M / V = (W/g) / V
where
D = density [g/cm3 or kg/cm3]
M = mass [g or kg]
V = volume [cm3 or m3]
W = weight [N or pounds]
g = gravitational acceleration = 9.8 m/s2
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Segment Density
Double-tank
system for measuring
displaced volume
of human body
segments on living
or cadaver subjects.
Using standardized
density tables, the
mass can then be
calculated using
D = M / V.

[source: Miller & Nelson, 1976]

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Segment Center-of-Gravity
Segment

C-of-G

Important to know the location of the

effective center of gravity (or mass)
of segments
Gravity actually pulls on every
particle of mass, therefore giving
each part weight
For the body, each segment is treated
as the smallest division of the body
Can obtain C-of-G for individual
segments or group of segments
C-of-G usually slightly closer to the
thicker end of the segment

[Kreighbaum & Barthels, 1996]

22

Force

30

30
20

distance 9

10

10

20

C-of-G Line
Force 30

30

20

20

10

Different weight
or mass distributions
can have the same
C-of-G

10

[adapted from
Kreighbaum & Barthels, 1996]

distance 9

9
23

Segment Centers-ofGravity shown as

percentage of segment
lengths [Dempster,
1955].

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Segment Center-of-Gravity
Balance Method
Weight (force of gravity) & vertical reaction force at
the fulcrum (axis) must lie in the same plane.

C-of-G line
[Kreighbaum & Barthels, 1996]

C-of-G line

C-of-G line
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Segment Center-of-Gravity
Reaction Board Method 1 Individual Segments
Sum all moments around
pivot point O for both
cases:
-WX SL W2L2 = 0
-WX SL W2L2 = 0

W2
L2

Subtract equations and

rearrange to obtain the
exact location (X) of Cof-G for the shank/foot
system:
X = {L(S - S)/W + X}

W2
L2

O
[LeVeau, 1977]

26

Segment Center-of-Gravity
Reaction Board Method 2 Group of Segments
Weigh Scales

C-of-G
Support Point
[Hay and Reid, 1988]
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Segment Center-of-Gravity
Suspension
Method
Determine pivot
point which
balances the object
in 2D plane
Use frozen human
cadaver segments

[Hay & Reid, 1988]

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Segment Center-of-Gravity
Multi-Segment Method
Imagine a body composed of three segments, each with

the C-of-G and mass as indicated

sum of Moments of each segment mass about the origin
= Moment of the total body mass about the origin
mathematically: SMO = MA + MB + MC = MA+B+C
A

30 N

5N

10 N

distance

8
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Multi-Segment Method Example Leg at 90 deg

[Oskaya & Nordin, 1991]

A leg of is fixed at 90 degrees. The table

gives CGs and weights (as % of total
body weight W) of segments 1, 2, and 3.
Determine coordinates (xCG, yCG) of
Centre of Gravity of leg system.
Step 1 - sum of moments of each segment
about origin O as in Figure 5.39.
SMO=xCG{W1+W2+W3}=x1W1+x2W2+ x3W3
xCG = {x1W1 +x2W2 + x3W3}/(W1+W2+W3)
= {17.3(0.106W) + 42.5(0.046W) +
45(0.017W)}/(0.106W + 0.046W +
0.017W)
xCG = 26.9 cm
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Step 2 - rotate leg to obtain the yCG and

repeat the same procedure as Step 1.
C-of-G

SMO = yCG{W1 + W2 + W3}

SMO = y1W1 + y2W2 + y3W3
yCG = {y1W1 + y2W2 + y3W3}
/(W1 + W2 + W3)

= {51.3(0.106W) + 32.8(0.046W) +
3.3(0.017W)}/(0.106W + 0.046W +
O

0.017W)
yCG = 41.4 cm
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Segment Rotational Inertia

Rotational Inertia, I (Mass Moment of Inertia)
real bodies are not point masses; rather the mass is
distributed about an axis or reference point
resistance to angular motion and acceleration
depends on mass of body & how far mass is distributed
from the axis of rotation
specific to a given axis

32

[Miller & Nelson, 1976]

Rotational Inertia, I

I mi ri

I = rotational inertia
m = mass
r = distance to axis
or point of interest
Rotational inertia can be
calculated around any
axis of interest. Distance
from axis (r2) has more
effect than mass (m)
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Radius of Gyration, K

k = I/m
Radius (k) at which a point

mass (m) can be located to

have the same rotational
inertia (I) as the body (m) of
interest
measures the average spread
of mass about an axis of
rotation; k = average r
not same as C-of-G
k is always a little larger than
the radius of rotation (which
is the distance from C-of-G to
reference axis)

[Hall, 1999]
34

Example - Radius of Gyration, k

Smaller k
Smaller I
Faster Spin

k = I/m

Larger k
Larger I
Slower Spin

35

Measuring Rotational Inertia, I

Pendulum Method
use frozen cadaver segments
frictionless, free swing, pivot system
measure rotational resistance to swing

pivot

I = WL / 2f2
I = rotational inertia (kg.m2)
W = segment weight (N)
L = distance from C-of-G to
pivot axis (m)
f = swing frequency (cycles/s)

f
C-of-G

[see Lephart, 1984]

36

Measuring Rotational Inertia, I

Oscillating Beam Method
use live subjects
forced oscillation system
measure resistance to
forced rotation

[Peyton, 1986]

I = R/(2f)2 = Rp2/2
I = rotational inertia (kg.m2)
R = spring constant (N.m/rad)
p = period (sec)
f = freq. of oscillation (cycles/sec)

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