3DBodyScanning

3D body scanning is the collection of technologies and methods that capture the shape and surface details of the human body to produce digital three-dimensional representations. Scanners typically use laser, structured light, or photogrammetry to reconstruct geometry and often capture texture.

Workflow generally involves selecting a scanning approach, positioning the subject, acquiring data, and then registering, fusing, and meshing the scans to create a coherent model. Post-processing may include cleaning, alignment, and extraction of measurements or features such as circumference, length, and girth.

Outputs can include polygon meshes, point clouds, and texture maps, along with anthropometric measurements and metadata such as scale and scanner parameters. Data may be exported in standard formats such as OBJ, PLY, STL, or PCD, enabling use in design, simulation, or visualization pipelines.

Technologies used range from laser scanners and structured-light systems to multi-view photogrammetry and consumer devices that rely on depth cameras or stereo vision. Recent advances have enabled smaller, faster systems and real-time previews, with increasing integration into mobile and cloud-based workflows.

Applications span fashion and apparel for size and fit, ergonomics and product design, medical planning and prosthetics, animation, virtual reality, and gaming. In clinical contexts, scans can aid preoperative planning or monitor body changes over time, while in industry they support customization and digital twin initiatives.

Limitations include equipment cost, scan time, occlusions, movement artifacts, and privacy concerns regarding biometric data and storage security. History of 3D body scanning traces back to the 1990s, with accelerating development through laser, structured-light, and photogrammetry techniques and growing adoption in consumer devices after the 2010s. See also photogrammetry, structured light, laser scanning, ergonomic measurement.