ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol.

Sec. Biomechanics

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2025.1632806

This article is part of the Research TopicRevolutionizing sports science: Biomechanical models, wearable tech, and AIView all articles

A Novel Anthropometric Method to Accurately Evaluate Tissue Deformation

Provisionally accepted
Chongyang YeChongyang Ye1Xiaolu LIXiaolu LI1Haiyan SongHaiyan Song2Shi YuShi Yu1Ruixin LiangRuixin Liang1Jun ZhangJun Zhang1Ka Po LeeKa Po Lee1Zhaolong ChenZhaolong Chen1Beibei ZhouBeibei Zhou1Raymond Kai-yu TongRaymond Kai-yu Tong3Kit Lun YickKit Lun Yick1Sun-Pui NgSun-Pui Ng1Joanne YipJoanne Yip1*
  • 1The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China
  • 2Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
  • 3The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China

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Biomechanical imaging through body scanning can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the soft tissue deformation exerted by compression sportswear, which is crucial in sports science research and functional sportswear design. However, displacement from movement affects alignment so accurately measuring tissue deformation with different wear conditions becomes challenging. To address this issue, an analytical model is constructed to predict tissue deformation by using the Boussinesq solution, which is based on the elastic theory and stress function method. Moreover, a novel anthropometric method based on image recognition algorithms that systematically measures and evaluates tissue deformation while minimizing the impact of the effects of motion is proposed. The mechanical properties of five leggings samples are tested by using the Instron 4411 and KES-FB1 systems to determine the uniaxial tension and pure shear. The predicted results are then compared with the experimental results, which shows that they are in good agreement, with deviations within 1.15 mm for the static condition and 2.36 mm for the dynamic condition, thus validating the proposed novel method. This anthropometric approach is an invaluable tool for evaluating tissue deformation patterns, thus providing key insights for sportswear designers to optimize garment performance and design.

Keywords: anthropometric method, body scanning/imaging, Soft tissue deformation, Sportswear design, Analytical model

Received: 21 May 2025; Accepted: 14 Jul 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Ye, LI, Song, Yu, Liang, Zhang, Lee, Chen, Zhou, Tong, Yick, Ng and Yip. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Joanne Yip, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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