3D head growth and aging trajectories in Chinese and Caucasian for headwear customization: From modeling to...

Understanding population-specific head growth and aging patterns is critical for ergonomic design, yet existing models lack comprehensive comparisons between major ethnic groups. This study addresses this gap by presenting the first comprehensive comparison of 3D head growth and aging trajectories between Chinese and Caucasian populations across a wide age range (5-70 years). Using principal component analysis and weighted partial least squares regression on a large dataset (including 2,553 Chinese and 1,993 Caucasian), we develop an efficient pipeline for modeling population-specific head development. Our analysis reveals significant morphological differences: Chinese individuals exhibit characteristically brachycephalic cranial forms (wider but shorter heads) with flatter nasal bridges and less prominent chins compared to Caucasian dolichocephalic morphology. The growth and aging trajectories demonstrate rapid cranial development until around 18 years followed by stabilization in adulthood, with population-specific patterns persisting across all age groups. Key contributions include: (1) the first cross-population growth model spanning childhood to late adulthood, (2) an optimized computational framework reducing processing time while maintaining high accuracy, and (3) quantitative anthropometric benchmarks for designing population-specific headwear/facewear/eyewear. These findings bridge critical gaps in anthropometric research and provide actionable insights for ergonomic product design, particularly for helmets, AR/VR headsets, and respiratory protection equipment. The dataset and methodology establish a foundation for future studies in craniofacial development and population-sensitive design.