Anthropometric Assessment of the Mass Distribution Characteristics of the Living Human Body

Abstract

Knowledge of the mass distribution parameters of the human body is essential for the understanding of human kinetics. A significant problem has been the development of a convenient and accurate method for measuring these parameters on the living. This paper reports two studies undertaken (1) to establish, for the first time, the principal moments of inertia of the body and body segments, and (2) to validate a stereometric technique for assessing mass distribution parameters of the living human body.