Study regarding the virtual prototyping of garments for paraplegics

Abstract

The sitting position is very common in everyday life and therefore any garment should be comfortable in that positon. It is especially important for those who are disabled and are confined to a sitting position throughout life. These include paraplegics whose restricted movements are due to paralysis of the lower limbs and restrict them to a wheelchair. Garments for a sitting position should meet certain particular needs like the body dimensions and postures of each individual. Design considerations should provide ergonomic comfort in a sitting position and include functional requirements due to limitations of strength and mobility in such a way that they do not cause additional health problems to paraplegics, e.g. skin irritations, pressure sores, obstruction of the blood flow etc., but rather to improve the quality of life for paraplegics. Today, the development of garments is practically impossible to imagine without the assistance of 3D CAD systems for the virtual prototyping of garments, which usually provide only the 3D body models in a standing position. The aim of this study was to explore the possibilities for the virtual prototyping of garments in regard to the sitting position, using the OptiTex 3D commercial CAD system. For this purpose 3D scans of subjects in sitting position were performed using a general-purpose ATOS II 3D optical scanning system. In addition, processing techniques of the human body mesh modeling and surface reconstruction techniques were involved to obtain a sitting 3D body model. The garments' basic pattern designs for a standing position were constructed according to the rules of the M. Müller&Sohn construction system. Their reconstruction into garments' basic pattern designs for a sitting position were performed by using the virtual measured dimensions of the scanned 3D body model in a sitting position, and virtual prototyping of the garments. Comparisons between the dimensions of the real and the 3D body models were carried out, as well as a comparison between the real sewn and virtually developed garments. The research showed that a reliable sitting 3D body model was achieved by used scanning technology, modeling and reconstruction techniques, as well as the usefulness and effectiveness of the virtual prototyping of the garments for a sitting position. In this study fully mobile individuals were involved to avoid unnecessary burdening of paraplegics in this stage of the research. The experiences gained from this study will enable us to include paraplegics within the study during the scanning and anthropometric survey with the aim of designing a general parametric 3D body model. Its body dimensions and postures would be possible for adapting from able-bodied persons with the purpose of developing individual garments for paraplegics.

Textile Forms’ Computer Simulation Techniques

“…3D scanning and computer simulation techniques were studied for development of individualized functional garments for wheelchair users from perspective of ergonomic comfort in Some recent studies have shown that clothes for disabled users should not only be based on various design, fashion and comfort concepts, but should also consider particular medical problems [33][34][35][36][37]. The interviewing conducted in Slovenia among 58 adult respondents revealed that paraplegic wheelchair users are faced also with accompanying health problems because of their primary disease [35].…”

“…The hand pains (50.0%) and leg cramps (41.7%) are common health problems of paraplegics. It is well known that they are faced also with limited mobility of hands, atrophy of the leg muscles, poor blood circulation, and regulation of body temperature of lower extremities [34,38,39].…”

“…However, this software cannot represent scanned sitting body and extract anthropometrical body dimensions automatically. The research on a sitting posture's 3D body model, obtained by scanning with Vitus Smart XXL human body scanner and two general-purpose optical scanners (GOM Atos II 400 and the Artec™ Eva 3D hand scanner), showed that more appropriate digitized mesh can be achieved using the general purpose optical scanners [34,40,41], Figure 11. Digitizing was carried out on a rotation chair.…”

“…Digitizing was carried out on a rotation chair. The accurate sitting 3D body models were achieved after modeling and reconstruction procedures that are deeply described in a source [34]. In this research, the fully mobile persons were involved to avoid unnecessary burdening of paraplegics at this stage of the research.…”

Analysis of Tight Fit Clothing 3D Construction Based on Parametric and Scanned Body Models

“…When analysing clothing construction according to individual measurements it is best to use scanned body models to gain accurate body shape on which computer 3D prototype will be joined in simulation process [6]. Similar approaches have been used in a number of other research works [7][8][9]. When using 3D flattening method for 3D construction of tight-fit clothing it is necessary to take inconsideration physical and mechanical properties of the material from which the clothing will be made.…”