An efficient procedure for locating joint centers on 3D scanned human models: Using hip joint centers as an example

This paper presents an efficient procedure to locate joint centers on 3D scanned human models. Using the hip joint centers (HJCs) as an example, we conducted an experiment to study the validity of the procedure. We carried out 3D body scanning on six subjects, which were attached with the necessary body landmarks. Another 12 participants were recruited to perform two tasks. The first task was to identify the locations of the body landmarks. We pre-programmed the estimation method to an in-house rigging system. The lower body bones were then placed by the system according to the estimated HJCs. The second task was to place the lower body bones based on visual judgments. The results show that the HJCs obtained in the first task are more accurate. The results are also visually demonstrated. The promising results of the experiment indicate the possibility of building skeletal structures with 3D body scanning.