size from three-dimensional (3D) body scan image data.
Background: Previous bra studies established reference points by directly contactingthe subject's naked skin to determine the boundary of the breast. But some subjectswere uncomfortable with these types of measurements. This study examinednoncontact methods of extracting breast reference points from 3D body scan datathat were collected while subjects were wearing standardized soft bras.
Method: 3D body scan data of 32 Korean women were analyzed. The subjects wereselected from the Size Korea 2010 study. The breast landmarks were identified bygraphic analyses of slicing contour lines on 3D body scan data.
Results: Three methods determining bra cup size were compared. The M1 and M2methods determined cup size by calculating the difference between bust girth andunder-bust girth. The M3 method determined bra cup size by measuring breastarc length.
Conclusion: The researchers proposed an anthropometric bra cup sizing systemwith the breast arc length (M3 method). It was measured from the geometricallydefined landmarks on the 3D body scan slicing contour lines. The new bra cupsize was highly correlated with breast depth.
Application: The noncontact measuring method used in this study can be appliedto the ergonomic studies measuring sensitive body parts.