Total body and regional surface area: Quantification with low-cost three-dimensional optical imaging systems

Area of Science:

• Human physiology
• Anthropometry
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Body surface area (SA) is crucial for thermophysiology and evolutionary biology models.
• Current SA estimation methods include empirical equations or costly laser imaging.
• Low-cost 3D scanners present a potential new method for SA quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the accuracy of low-cost 3D scanners for measuring total body (TB) and regional SA.
• To compare 3D scanner SA estimates with those from a gold-standard whole-body laser system.

Main Methods:

• Ten adults underwent SA measurements using four commercial 3D scanners and a whole-body laser system.
• Initial mesh data from all devices were processed using standardized software for SA calculation.
• The software was adapted for mesh repair, landmark identification, and SA measurement generation.

Main Results:

• 3D scanners demonstrated high correlation with laser system estimates for TB SA (R² = 0.98–0.99).
• Small root-mean square errors (0.02–0.03 m²) and minor mean differences were observed for TB SA.
• Comparable accuracy was found for regional SA measurements (trunk, arm, leg).

Conclusions:

• Low-cost 3D optical scanners can accurately quantify total body and regional human SA.
• These devices offer a practical and accessible tool for human phenotyping and physiological studies.
• 3D scanning technology opens new avenues for research in human physiology and evolutionary biology.