Rapid prototyping of human body surface

Rapid Prototyping techniques such as stereolithography are used in numerous engineering prototype and manufacturing applications. Stereolithography models of human body surfaces may be used for garment design, biomechanics analysis, and ergonomics. This paper describes how data for a 3D-sculptured human body surface were captured by a narrow shadow scanning system. The captured data was converted using a C++ interface programme into a 3D surface model of human body in a surface CAD modeller, DUCT package. The model was simplified in DUCT and output as an IGES file. The 3D data in IGES of a single surface format was read into Mastercam and converted into a .STL file (the neutral language understood by all rapid prototyping systems). This file was then transferred to Magics RP where the STL file fixing capability was utilised adding an upper and lower surface to produce a solid form from the single surface. The solid model was scaled down and hollowed out, the upper and lower surfaces trimmed and the resulting thin walled model transferred to a Stereolithography machine for the production of an epoxy model.