Dec 8, 2014 | By Simon
Aimed at commercializing "the world's most advanced technology for analyzing human body shape, pose and motion," Manhattan-based Body Labs has built an easy-to-use platform for referencing the human body in the design of, among other applications, manufacturable goods.
Founded in 2013, the new start up will soon begin a two-year contract with the US Army's Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC). The center, which aims to advance product design and development for military applications, plans to use the Body Labs platform to design and manufacture body armor and equipment for their growing base of female soldiers.
In utilizing the Body Labs data, Army engineers and designers will be able to pose digital scans of actual humans in order to digitally simulate a variety of body poses and positions that the soldiers would likely encounter during active duty.
Among other movements that the 3D models can complete are running, jumping, fighting, dancing and even more subtle movements such as rising chest during the breathing process.
Additionally, the Body Labs team will import 14,000 recent full-body soldier scans to develop accurate statistical models that can aid in the process of future body armor designs based on the shape and most common movements of female soldiers. The data will be similar to that seen in the iconic design reference book "The Measure of Man: Human Factors in Design" by industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss and his company in 1959.
According to Body Lab's Director of Marketing Julia Gilroy in the company's press release, the models on the Body Labs platform contain the alignment of individual measurements with statistical models and are "exact representations of the human body".
Body Labs also plans to release an API so that other digital and physical product designers can leverage their platform to create their own human factors-considered designs, such as those in the 3D printing space.
With recent developments being made in bringing 3D printing to space, it might be only a matter of time before astronauts are not only 3D printing their own tools in zero gravity, but tools that conform exactly to their body.
"We want to see what people will come up with," Gilroy concluded.
Currently, this technology is also available to curious consumers via the company's Body Snap Microsoft Kinect 3D scanning app.
Source: PSFK
Posted in 3D Software
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