Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
ANTHROPOMETRY
4.0 SCOPE OF ANTHROPOMETRY IN MOVEMENT
BIOMECHANICS
Anthropometry is the major branch of anthropology that studies the physical
measurements of the human body to determine differences in individuals and
groups. A wide variety of physical measurements are required to describe
and differentiate the characteristics of race, sex, age, and body type. In the
past, the major emphasis of these studies has been evolutionary and histor-
ical. However, more recently a major impetus has come from the needs of
technological developments, especially man-machine interfaces: workspace
design, cockpits, pressure suits, armor, and so on. Most of these needs are
satisfied by basic linear, area, and volume measures. However, human move-
ment analysis requires kinetic measures as well: masses, moments of inertia,
and their locations. There exists also a moderate body of knowledge regarding
the joint centers of rotation, the origin and insertion of muscles, the angles
of pull of tendons, and the length and cross-sectional area of muscles.
4.0.1 Segment Dimensions
The most basic body dimension is the length of the segments between each
joint. These vary with body build, sex, and racial origin. Dempster and
coworkers (1955, 1959) have summarized estimates of segment lengths and
joint center locations relative to anatomical landmarks. An average set of
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