ANTHROPOMETRY

AGENDA

Introduction of Anthropometry

2 basic areas of anthropometry

Standard Anthropometric Postures

Sources of Body Size Variability

Anthropometric Equipment and Instruments

AGENDA CONT…

Who Developed Anthropometry

The history of Anthropometry

Golden Ratio of the human body

Relevance of anthropomentric measurement of the

human body
INTRODUCTION OF ANTHROPOMETRY
Anthropometry is the study of
body sizes and associated
characteristics, including static
space dimensions like length,
width, and shape, as well as the
weights and inertial properties of
body parts. These measurements
are crucial when designing devices
and systems to fit users or
employees. For example, doors in
buildings should be above 6 feet
tall, but the diameter of a
screwdriver handle should be
appropriate for the human hand.
CONT… INTRODUCTION OF ANTHROPOMETRY

It derives from the Greek word

"anthropos" meaning "human
body" and "metron" meaning "
measure". Anthropologists need to
understand the wide variety of
body sizes possible. Most collected
data is from selected
subpopulations, often for specific
design questions by clothing or
footwear manufacturers.
CONT… INTRODUCTION OF ANTHROPOMETRY

The use of photographic records

for measurement improved the
repeatability of measurements.
Recently, laser scanning devices
and computer data collection
software have significantly reduced
the time needed to collect
information on body shapes,
leading to new applications of
anthropometric data.
THERE ARE TWO BASIC AREAS OF ANTHROPOMETRY:

 Structural Anthropometry (often called as Static

Anthropometry) deals with simple-dimensions of the
stationary human being. e.g., Weight, stature and the
lengths, breadths, depths and circumferences of particular
body structures. It is the measurement of body sizes at
rest and when using devices such as chairs, tables, beds,
mobility devices, and so on.
 Functional Anthropometry (Dynamic Anthropometry) deals
with compound Measurements of the moving human
being. E.g., Reach and the angular ranges of various joints.
It is the measurement of abilities related to the completion
of tasks, such as reaching, maneuvering and motion, and
other aspects of space and equipment use.
STANDARD ANTHROPOMETRIC POSTURES

•Standard Standing Posture:

- The subject stands erect, pulling themselves up to their full
height and looking straight ahead.
- Shoulders are relaxed and arms hang loosely by their
sides.
- The subject stands free of walls, measuring instruments,
•Standard
etc. Sitting Posture:
- The subject sits erect on a horizontal, flat surface, pulled up
to their full height and looking straight ahead.
- Shoulders are relaxed, with upper arms hanging freely by the
sides and forearms horizontal (elbows flexed to a right
angle).
- The seat height is adjusted (or blocks are placed under the
feet) until thighs are horizontal and lower legs are vertical
(knees flexed to a right angle).
STANDARD ANTHROPOMETRIC POSTURES CONT…

•Reference Planes:
- Horizontal Reference Plane: The plane of the seat surface.
- Vertical Reference Plane: A real or imaginary plane that touches
the back of the uncompressed buttocks and shoulder blades of the
subject.
- Seat Reference Point (SRP): The point of intersection of the
horizontal and vertical reference planes and the median plane of
the body (dividing the body equally into right and left halves).
POSTURE
POSTURE
SOURCES OF BODY SIZE VARIABILITY

The various genetic, biological, and

physiological differences between
humans influence the way they
vary with respect to body
dimensions in terms of height,
weight, shape, and the like.
CONT… SOURCES OF BODY SIZE VARIABILITY

The common practice in

ergonomics is to specify
anthropometric data in terms of
percentiles. A percentile refers to a
percentage of the population with a
body dimension up to a certain size
or smaller.
CONT… SOURCES OF BODY SIZE VARIABILITY

When a particular design (i.e.,

placing a valve hand wheel at a
given height) is expected to be
used by many people, we need to
consider the following variables in
influencing body size and adjust
the design accordingly:
 SOURCES OF BODY SIZE VARIABILITY

 Gender. Men generally have larger body dimensions and

percentiles than women, with hand dimensions being 20% larger
and fingers 10% longer. Women generally exceed men in five
dimensions: chest depth, hip breadth, thigh circumference, and
skin-fold thickness.

 Age. Body dimensions generally increase from birth to early

twenties, remain constant to around age 40, and decline
afterward into old age as part of the normal aging process. For
example, stature or height reaches full growth at around age 20
for males and 17 for females. Decline in stature is more
pronounced in women than in men.
CONT… SOURCES OF BODY SIZE VARIABILITY

 Nationality and culture. Nationalities and cultures

differ in body sizes. For instance, Asians tend to be
somewhat shorter on average than Northern
Americans, while certain cultures from southern
Sudan (Africa) tend to be taller.
 Occupation. Body size differences among
occupational groups are common and well-
documented. Manual workers have larger body sizes
than sedentary workers, while truck drivers are taller
and heavier. This difference may be due to diet,
exercise, physical activities, implied selection, and
self-selection. It's important to avoid using
anthropometric data from one occupation to another.
CONT… SOURCES OF BODY SIZE VARIABILITY

 Body position. Posture affects body size. For example,

restraints such as seat belts, affect data applicability
of forward reach.

 Historical trends. The average size of people has been

increasing over the years. For instance, the average
adult height in Western Europe and the United States
increased about 1 cm (0.4 in.) per decade (Sanders
and McCormick, 1993). This is so, perhaps, because
of better diet, medical care, hygiene, and living
conditions.
CONT… SOURCES OF BODY SIZE VARIABILITY
 Clothing. As mentioned earlier, almost all
anthropometric data are obtained from nude
individuals. Therefore, the type (material) and
amount of clothing add to body size and can also
create restriction of movement such as affecting
overhead and forward reach. Another example is the
use of gloves where allowance must be made to
accommodate different thicknesses of gloves.
OTHER ANTHROPOMETRIC RELATIONSHIP

Another role of anthropometry is to determine the relationships between the sizes of different body parts and other
variables.

The size of different body parts is strongly related to a person's height. Taller people tend to have longer arms and
vice versa, though this is not always the case. Table 2.4 illustrates some other relationships for which correlation
coefficients are reported. These coefficients tend to be consistent between males and females. Most of these
relationships are also consistent with common sense.

Examples include a general tendency for older people to weigh more, for taller people to be heavier, for heavier
people to have larger waists, etc.

Click icon to add pict

ANTHROPOMETRIC EQUIPMENT AND
INSTRUMENTS

Anthropometric Tools
Anthropometric tools are
instruments for the measurement
of different parts of the body as
muscle, bones, and adipose tissue
or body fat. Sometimes the
terminology of anthropometric
equipment types can be confusing.
 Anthropometer
An anthropometer is tool
comprised of rods that can be
configured for many body
measurements. Or
Anthropometer may reference a
small or large bone
anthropometer. An
anthropometer is a tool to
measure the lengths of the
human body an anthropometer
is a tool to measure the lengths
of the human body.
 is a tool to measure the lengths
of the human body.

 Small Bone Anthropometer

(Small bone caliper, small
sliding caliper) A small bone
anthropometer is a sliding
caliper usually between 140-
200mm used to measure width
of small bones, such as wrist,
knee, elbow, ankle.
 Large Bone Anthropometer
(Large bone caliper, large sliding
caliper) A large bone
anthropometer is a sliding
caliper usually with a range of
600mm used to measure large
bones, such as shoulder width
and chest depth. Chest depth
can also be measured by a
breadth caliper.
 breadth caliper.

 Breadth Caliper
(Spreading caliper, chest depth
caliper) A breadth caliper
measures the anterior-posterior
chest depth, shoulder, and
pelvis, usually has a range of
50cm/20 inch.
 Segmometer
(Knee height caliper, flexible
segmometer, rigid
segmometeer, sliding broad-
blade caliper) A segnometer
measures knee height and other
bone lengths, such as forearm, it
can also be used to locate the
midpoint of upper arm for body
test. A segmometer is usually
has a 3m range and is the size
of a standard handheld tape
measure for easy transport.
 measure for easy transport.

 Knee Height Caliper

(Segmometer, nigid
segmometer, sliding broad-
blade caliper) A knee height
caliper is a rigid sliding caliper
with long jaws used to measure
the distance from the bottom of
the foot to the knee. That
measurement can be used to
calculate height of persons not
able to stand. Also see
segmometer, which is more
compact.
 calculate height of persons not
able to stand. Also see
segmometer, which is more
compact.
 Anthropometry Kit
(Complete anthropometry kit)
An anthropometry it is a
collection of calipers and
measurement instruments for
complete anthropometric
evaluation. It usually includes a
small bone and large bone
anthropometer, a stadiometer,
anthropometric tape measure,
segmometer, and transport
case. A complete kit usually
includes a skinfold caliper as
well.
 case. A complete kit usually
includes a skinfold caliper as
well.

 Anthropometric Tape
Measure
Has a thin (6mm wide), flat,
flexible steel blade with blank
space before the zero (6-8cm),
and uses the metric system,
about 2 meters in length. To
measure wrist, ankle, waist Also
for locating midpoint of upper
arm for body fat testing.
 Skinfold Caliper-Body fat
caliper
A caliper with jaws that measure
thickness of skinfolds, usually
with a range of 60-100mm.
Measure skinfold thickness at
multiple sites on the body in
order to calculate body fat
percentage.
 Stadiometer
Haight Moter. A straight vertical
meter usually 200-300cm in
length. Used to measure height
of a person standing up.
 Anthropometric Bench
An anthropometric bench is a
wood bench used for
anthropometric evaluations by
having subjects in ideal,
comfortable, and consistent
positions. Normally it has the
size of the standards for
anthropometric evaluation:
50x40x30 centimeters.
 50x40x30 centimeters.

 Dermographic
Markers/Pencils-
Dermographic
Markers are made specifically
for marking the skin during the
measuring of anthropometric
measurement and for easy
removal.
 Biocondylar calipers
Bone diameter is a nickel-plated
caliper for making a variety of
body measurements bone
breadth and limb girth. It
includes a vinyl carrying case
WHO DEVELOPED ANTHROPOMETRY: ALPHONSE BERTILLON (1853-1914)
• Alphonse Bertillon, son of Louis-
Adolphe Bertillon, a physician and
founder of the Society of
Anthropology of Paris, is credited
as the father of anthropometrics.
While the concept of measuring
the human body dates back to
ancient civilizations, Bertillon
revolutionized the field with his
"Anthropometric system" or
"judicial anthropometry."
 • Working
WHO DEVELOPED ANTHROPOMETRY: ALPHONSE for (1853-1914)
BERTILLON the Paris police, CONT…
Bertillon identified the challenge
of tracking repeat offenders due
to criminal records being stored
alphabetically and criminals using
aliases. To solve this, he
developed a system that
classified individuals based on
various body measurements,
assuming that bone density is
fixed after age 20 and that human
dimensions vary greatly.
WHO DEVELOPED ANTHROPOMETRY: ALPHONSE BERTILLON (1853-1914) CONT…

• He measured height, foot size,

head dimensions, and the length
of specific body parts, along with
recording distinguishing features.
Bertillon also introduced the use
of frontal and profile photographs,
which evolved into the modern
mug shot.
WHO DEVELOPED ANTHROPOMETRY: ALPHONSE BERTILLON (1853-1914) CONT…

• This classification system, called

"Bertillonage," was adopted by
the Paris police and quickly
spread worldwide in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries, helping
to identify unknown individuals
and repeat offenders.
ANCIENT ANTHROMETRIC THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY
MEASUREMENTS

• The ancient civilizations of Rome,

Greece, and Egypt primarily used
anthropometric measurements
for cultural purposes (e.g., artwork) to
represent beauty, power, and other
desirable attributes of the human form.
Symmetry was particularly desirable,
and units of measurement often
consisted of the “width of a human
hand” or length of a human foot”.
ANTHROPOMORPHIC MEASUREMENTS
THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY
DURING THE RENAISSANCE •Artists during the renaissance
applied anthropometric
measurements to artistic works
by applying human proportions.
One of the most famous examples,
is the works of the famous artist
Leonardo da Vinci (depicted below
with the famous Vitruvian Man),
who obtained measurements of
the human body by analyzing
cadavers. Other artists relied
on live models and historical
achieves to obtain accurate
anthropometric measurements.
TWENTIETH CENTURY THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY
ANTHROPOMETRICS

•Morphometrics, a subdiscipline of
anthropometrics, studied human size and
shape variations using multivariate
statistics. It later evolved into geometric
morphometrics, assessing bone density.
Anthropometrics linked environmental and
social conditions with health, assessing
historical health trends, and supporting
eugenics and racist agendas.
PALEOANTHROPOLOGY THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY

•Anthropologic techniques, particularly

craniometry, have been crucial in
paleoanthropology for studying human
evolution through fossil remains. These
measurements quantify changes in pre-
human skull size and shape, adapting to
increased brain volume, and are essential
for understanding bipedalism and brain
size in humans.
EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY

•In the late 1800s,

anthropometry was applied to
psychology, assessing physical
attributes alongside other human
measurements like sight, touch,
movement, memory, and mental
fatigue.
FORENSIC ANTHROPOMETRY THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY

•Forensic anthropometry, based on

Bertillon's anthropometric
classification system, uses physical
and skeletal measurements to identify
human remains, including age, body
type, sex, and ethnicity, using
somatometry and osteometry for
positive identification.
ANTHROPOMETRIC SOMATOTYPES THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY

•Anthropometric measurements
can be used to describe particular
human physiques, known
as somatotypes. There are three
main somatotypes as illustrated
below (endomorph, ectomorph, and
mesomorph), although some
individuals may represent a hybrid
of two somatotypes.
ENDOMORPH THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY

•Endomorphs are humans with

endoderm-derived tissues,
characterized by soft, round
shapes, large digestive viscera, fat
accumulation, and tapering
extremities. Endomorphy is
determined by measuring triceps,
subscapular, and suprailiac skinfold
thickness, combined with
underwater measurements.
ECTOMORPH THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY

•Ectomorphs are humans with

ectoderm-derived tissues,
characterized by a linear body
shape, large surface area, thin
muscles, subcutaneous tissue, and
moderately developed digestive
viscera.
MESOMORPH THE HISTORY OF ANTHROPOMETRY

Mesomorphs are humans with

mesoderm-derived tissues,
increased muscle, bone, and
connective tissue, characterized by
a hard physique and rectangular
shape, determined by bone
diameter, muscle circumference,
skinfold thickness, and height.
GOLDEN RATIO OF THE HUMAN BODY

The Golden Ratio, a

mathematical concept dating back
to ancient Greece, is a number that
represents the best proportions in
the human body. It is often
depicted in various aspects of the
body, such as the length of arms
and legs divided by the length of
the torso. The Vitruvian Man, a
famous work by Leonardo da Vinci,
demonstrates the importance of
proportion in classical architecture.
GOLDEN RATIO OF THE HUMAN BODY
CONT…

The golden ratio is also

considered the epitome of beauty
in the human face, where the
distance between certain regions is
1.618 times greater than the center
of the lips and the chin.
Researchers have identified seven
key measurements to assess the
ratio, and if all seven are
considered "ideal," a face is
considered the most beautiful.
GOLDEN RATIO OF THE HUMAN BODY
CONT…

The British Medical Journal

published research indicating that
individuals with a ratio between
their diastolic and systolic blood
pressure is at a lower risk of
cardiac arrest.
GOLDEN RATIO OF THE HUMAN BODY
CONT…

Calculating the golden ratio for

the body involves dividing the total
body length (BL) by the total body
width (BW). The result indicates the
extent to which the body's
proportions align with the golden
ratio.
RELEVANCE OF ANTHROPOMENTRIC MEASUREMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY

- Proper fitting ensures that the

clothes are comfortable to wear,
allowing for freedom of
movement and preventing any
discomfort or restriction.
RELEVANCE OF ANTHROPOMENTRIC MEASUREMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT…

- Examples of how anthropometric

measurements are used in
tailoring include:
- Chair height: Tailoring the chair
height to the worker's leg length
ensures proper posture and
reduces strain on the back and
legs.
RELEVANCE OF ANTHROPOMENTRIC MEASUREMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY CONT…

- Working table height: Adjusting

the table height to the worker's
elbow height minimizes strain on
the shoulders and arms.
- Clothing size and fit: Tailoring the
size and fit of the clothing to the
worker's body shape ensures
comfort and allows for proper
movement.
 GROUP 4 MEMBERS:
MARY GOLD BAJAO
LOUELLA VIBAR
JESSA VIZCAYNO
JOSHUA ALEO
GIN DEJITO

THANK YOU
_________________________