The IBV is developing health indicators based on digital anthropometry and 3D models of the human body
Technologies for the 3D recording and reconstruction of the human body are attracting a great deal of interest in the health and well-being sectors due to their ability to provide comprehensive anthropometric information about a person’s shape, quickly and at a much lower cost than the systems and reference methods currently in use. Another advantage over current reference methods that use ionising radiation is that these systems are non-invasive.
3D human body data is already being used in areas such as regenerative surgery, the customisation of medical devices and virtual reality applications for mental health therapies. As these new recording technologies are developed and refined, it is expected that they will become a fundamental tool in health monitoring and care.
According to Sandra Alemany, Head of the Anthropometry Department at the IBV, “the ability to generate a 3D copy of the human body in real time provides zonal information on the shape and volume of the body, which can help to predict the person’s state of health. This tool, which is much more advanced and precise than some of the methods currently being used in clinical practice, opens up a wide range of possibilities in the monitoring and evolution of pathologies and diseases that could be predicted from the external shape of the body”.
This is the background to the Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV)’s ANT4HEALTH project, which sets out to explore the use of technology to capture the 3D shape and dimensions of the human body for health monitoring and care, and to develop health indicators and predication models based on digital anthropometry and 3D body models.
According to Alemany, “along with other outcomes, this research has allowed us to develop prototype algorithms for estimating body composition indicators and models for predicting changes in the shape and dimensions of the human body as a result of physiological changes. For example, one possible application is the estimation of the percentage of visceral fat, which is relevant for metabolic risk indicators”.
The possibility of obtaining detailed anthropometric information on a person’s shape and dimensions in real time, at a reduced cost and in a non-invasive way, makes these new 3D capture technologies a great option for improving the monitoring and evolution of diseases and pathologies such as obesity, lymphoedema or eating disorders, among others, where it is possible to predict the evolution of body composition based on the person’s external shape.
Another benefit of using these technologies is the ability to extend patient monitoring beyond the hospital, for example into the patient’s home, as he or she could easily obtain a 3D capture of their shape and dimensions.
Corporate collaboration for research with social impact
Several companies and organisations from the health and wellness sector have contributed to this research, such as Clínicas Ascires, the Institut Valencià de Rehabilitació Esportiva (IVRE+), the Vive Fit and Uma Gym fitness centres and the Ypsilon Sport Clinic. Thanks to this collaboration, it has been possible to identify the needs and validate the acceptance of the use of technologies to capture the 3D shape and dimensions of the human body by professionals in the clinical, sports and nutrition fields.
Finally, it should be noted that the ANT4HEALTH project is supported by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Autonomous Government of Valencia, through the IVACE+i programme, and receives funding from the European Union through the FEDER Community of Valencia 2021- 2027 Programme (IMDEEA/2024/26).
