News Digest Mar.19

Studying the Female Form: Math Could Lead to Sexier Lingerie, Safer Labcoats

PhysOrg.com (03/12/09)

Researchers at Japan's Kyoto Institute of Technology and Osaka University have developed a computerized model for identifying body shape components that can be used to design close-fitting products.  The researchers have developed a technique that allows them to extract a person's body shape components from three-dimensional (3D) data and then link that data to a classification of trunk shapes.  The researchers measured 560 Japanese women aged 19 to 63 using laser metrology to map control points at specific places on their trunks.  The data was applied to a generic 3D trunk model to create a database of body shapes.  The researchers then used statistical and cluster analysis to classify trunk characteristics into five different groups, each depending on slimness, breast size and angle, neck type, and shoulder slope.  The researchers say their analysis will be helpful in the production of clothes that fit better for each size and shape, and in improving practical functional clothes used for body adjustments and posture improvement.
http://www.physorg.com/news156096749.html