Virtual body generator for anthropometry and physiology based modeling

We believe that the future of human body testing in military and civilian applications is in using a new generation of "dummies" - "virtual humans". CFDRC's CMB (Computational Medicine and Biology) research group has developed an integrated bioinformatics software framework for intelligent analysis of biomedical databases, generation of geometrical models for simulations, and modeling setup for human biomechanical and physiological performance. The integrated 3D Java based software framework is a fully user-interactive Virtual Body framework for creation and editing the Virtual Body and acting as a front end for multi-scale anthropometry/anatomy physics based simulation software. This paper presents a software framework for visual manipulation and processing of human body anthropometric, skeletal, joint, skin, vascular and other anatomical databases. We have demonstrated the framework for scan/anatomy based virtual human body model generation and predictive simulation of cardiovascular system responses to high-g aircraft maneuvers and blast wave impact. The Virtual Body software allows for complete user control and editing of morphing capabilities of various anatomical systems, including the skin, joints, skeleton, vasculature and organs, with a framework designed for additional anatomical systems such as muscles, nerves and lymphatics. It provides the capability to generate/edit the static/dynamic human body models from laser scans, anthropometric databases, and other image based anatomical techniques such as motion capture, for predictive modeling of human body performance. The generated anatomical systems in the Virtual Body are fully linked together, with all anatomical systems mapped to the underlying skeleton framework, allowing for complete manipulation of all anatomical systems via skeleton framework manipulation. The Virtual Body also acts as a data-generator/preprocessor for available human body simulation software including biomechanics, ergonomics, cardiopulmonary physiology, blast injury and other simulators.