Sizing System and Anthropometry Research
As the functional requirements of wearable products increase, standard sizing systems present obstacles to mass production of these garments. The HDL has discovered that issues with fit and product functionality arise when developing sizing systems to fit the full population of potential users.
Overview
Fit-related issue become especially critical when integrated medical sensors and functional features require precise alignment with an individual’s anatomy. The results of our research have illustrated the need for consideration of non-traditional sizing systems and design processes, as well as new types of data. HDL research will continue to guide the development of sizing systems and the design process for advanced wearable products. When engineering technical garments, understanding the basic capability of the technology and garment function in relation to dynamic movement data can encourage designers and engineers to re-imagine the sizing system of the product in relation to the design.
Featured Project
National 3D Anthropometric Survey of Firefighters
College of Design, Agriculture Experiment Station
In collaboration with 13 Universities, we are conducting a national, 3D anthropometric survey of the hands, feet, and bodies of firefighters. Through this effort, we aim to build our knowledge of the human form through anthropometrics to improve the safety, fit, and performance of firefighters’ gloves, boots, and turnout gear. We are in the process of creating a shareable database of all 3D scans and measurement data from the national anthropometric survey, which will become available to all researchers, fire service organizations, manufacturers, and government entities to enable fire gear human factors research and analysis to be conducted. This shared, 3D anthropometric data will ensure continual, life-saving improvement of fire PPE.
Publications
Featured Project Publications
Moraes, A. S., Carvalho, M. A., Boldt, R. S., Ferreira, F. B., Griffin, L., & Ashdown, S. P. (2019, July). Assessment of Portuguese Firefighters’ Needs: Preliminary Results of a Pilot Study. In International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics, pp. 721-732. Springer, Cham.
McKinney, E., Morris, K., Wu, Y., Griffin, L., Sokolowski, S., Carufel, R., Park, J., (2019, Under Review) Firewomen’s fit problems with their coats and pants: Impact on mobility and safety. Journal of WORK.
Sokolowski S.L., Cantrell N., & Griffin L. (2018). Firefighting Turnout Boots: How a Human Factors Approach Can Improve Performance. In: Chung W., Shin C. (eds) Advances in Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design. AHFE 2018. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 790, pp. 59-67. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94601-6_8.
Griffin, L. & Sokolowski, S. (2018, May). Where Research and Firefighting Experience Come Together to Develop the Future of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (4-hour workshop). Presented at the Annual Conference for International Female Firefighter and Emergency Workers (i-Women), Fairfax, VA, USA.
Sokolowski, S. L., & Griffin, L. (2018). A User-Centered Approach for New PPE Development: iWomen Case Study. In Proceedings of the 2018 conference of the International Textile and Apparel Association, Cleveland, OH, USA, November 2017
Related Publications
Griffin, L., Sokolowski, S., Savvateev, E., Bhuyan, A., & Roese, N. (2019). Comparison of Glove Specifications, 3D Hand Scans, and Sizing of Sports Gloves for Athletes. In Proc. of 3DBODY.TECH 2019 - 10th Int. Conf. and Exh. on 3D Body Scanning and Processing Technologies, Lugano, Switzerland, 22-23 Oct. 2019, pp. 109-118, doi:10.15221/19.109.
Sokolowski, S., Silbert, J., & Griffin, L. (2019, October). How the US Sports Performance Apparel Industry Sizes Up to Female Plus Bodies. In Proc. of 3DBODY.TECH 2019 - 10th Int. Conf. and Exh. on 3D Body Scanning and Processing Technologies, Lugano, Switzerland. 22-23 Oct. 2019, pp. 222-228, doi:10.15221/19.222.
Sokolowski S.L., Griffin L., Silbert J. (2020) The Variability of U.S. Women’s Plus Size Product Sizing and Self-Identified Size 18 Bodies. In: Shin C. (eds) Advances in Interdisciplinary Practice in Industrial Design. AHFE 2019. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 968. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-20470-9_15
Griffin, L. & Dunne, L. (2016). Effects of Ready-To-Wear Sizing Conventions on Sensor Placement for Medical Wearable Sensing. Journal of Medical Devices. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4033170
Griffin, L., Compton, C., & Dunne, L. (2016). An Analysis of the Variability of Anatomical Body References within Ready-To-Wear Garment Sizes. In Proceedings of the 2016 ACM International Symposium on Wearable Computers. ACM, New York, NY, USA, DOI: 10.1145/2971763.2971800; Best Paper Award Finalist
Griffin, L. (2018). Sizing Systems and Anthropometric Data in the Design of Smart Wearables for Workers. Presented at the Wear It Smart: Smart Workwear for a Safe Workforce Conference, Montreal, CA.
Sokolowski, S. L., & Griffin, L. (2018). A User-Centered Approach for New PPE Development: iWomen Case Study. In Proceedings of the 2018 conference of the International Textile and Apparel Association, Cleveland, OH, USA, November 2017
Griffin, L., & Sokolowski, S. (2017). Future Practices and Technologies in Anthropometrics and Body. Special Topics Session Presented at the annual meeting of International Textile and Apparel Association, Saint Petersburg, FL, USA.
Griffin, L, Compton, C., & Dunne, L. (2016). Effects of ready-to-wear sizing conventions on sensor placement for medical wearable sensing. Presented at the Design of Medical Devices annual conference, Minneapolis, MN.
Griffin, L., Lastovich, T., Bye, E., LaBat, K. (2016). Sizing System Development and Testing for a Protective Coverall Design. Presented at the annual meeting of International Textile and Apparel Association, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Griffin, L., Lastovich, T., Bye, E., LaBat, K. (2014). A Protocol for the Evaluation of Coverall Fit. Presented at the annual mtg of ITAA Charlotte, NC
