Project Planning

Organizing and running a scanning project involves some advance planning. Thorough knowledge of the principles in this section of the user guide will ensure that a project can be completed in a timely and efficient manner.

Data Considerations

It is very important to accurately and completely define your project requirements:

• Input (form)
• Measurements, including measurement names and types (linear, volume, topographical, etc.)
• Point Names and Placement
• Report Formatting
• Output Destination (exporting to a spreadsheet, etc.)

Another very important consideration is to create a workflow and test that workflow. This procedure should be started well in advance of starting a large scale project.

Scan Environment

The scanner must be located in an area where the lighting can be controlled. Before the beginning of a scan session, the scanner should be run with no subject to verify that there is no stray data in the empty scan. The appearance of stray data in the scans of subjects may interfere with obtaining accurate measurements. Some specific problems to look for are:

1. Verify that the platform does not appear in the scan. If it does, the subject platform must be lowered until it is no longer in the scanned data.
2. Look for streaks of light in the scan. If there are any, locate the source of the light and close doors, shade windows, turn off extra lights, etc., in order to eliminate the light interference.
3. Be sure that the platform is free of anything like stray hair or pieces of lint that could be detected by the scanner. A thorough periodic maintenance of the system is highly recommended at this point. This maintenance would include the following procedures:
1. Home the Scanner
2. Clean the Optics
3. Lubricate the Motion System (if necessary)
4. Zero the Scanner
4. Take a few scans now, to ensure that the scanner is properly setup and that there are no errors or other problems. Run these scans through the entire process to familiarize each operator with the process.

If there will be a number of subjects arriving at the same time, a waiting area should be set aside.

There should be a dressing area nearby if the subjects will be changing clothes or undressing for the scan. It may be necessary to provide hair clips, rubber bands or some kind of cap for the subject's hair so that the hair will not interfere with measurements of the head and neck.

One or more stations should be set up for hand-measuring with tape measures, yardsticks and pens for recording the measurements. Adhesive dots should be provided for marking landmarks as well as any other materials such as the definitions and illustrations of measurements to aid in locating the correct places for taking measurements.

Scan Subjects

Depending upon the objective of the scanning project, it may be necessary to find appropriate scan subjects. In some cases, it may be an entire company or organization but in other cases it could be a number of individuals who must be contacted and scheduled for scan sessions. When looking for individual scan subjects, it may be necessary to place advertisements in the media. If scan subjects are to be compensated for their participation, there must be a plan for how much the subjects will be paid, and how and when they will be paid.

The subjects should be briefed in advance about any special requirements for clothing while being scanned, such as underwear-only or close fitting exercise clothes. Clothing should be light colored, not shiny and be free of trim such as ruffles or bows that might interfere with obtaining a good image of the subject. The scan subjects should also be informed about what to expect, such as being hand measured in addition to being scanned. Subjects should be prepared to spend at least 20 minutes to be scanned and hand measured plus additional time if they are required to wait. It is important that subjects be prepared to sign a release form if their scan image is to be displayed in the media or in public presentations.

Manual Measurements

If the scanning project is a study which includes comparison of DigiSize measurements with tailor measurements, some additional preparation is required. A list of desired measurements should be assembled and printed on forms for the purpose of recording manual measurements as they are taken. Each measurement should be defined with detailed instructions as to how to take the measurement. Illustrations are especially helpful. It should be decided if the manual measurements will be recorded as English or metric measurements. If there are landmarks used, they should also be defined and illustrated. It is very important that the manual measurements are defined and acquired in exactly the same way as the DigiSize automated measurements.

Scan Poses

In order to guarantee the most accurate results, it is very important to ensure that all subjects maintain a consistent pose throughout the data collection process. Some suggestions for optimal placement of the subject are included for Whole Body scans and for Head & Face scans.

Whole Body Scans

The appropriate pose for a whole body scan is generally defined as a standing pose with feet slightly apart, arms at a 20 to 30 degree angle from the body, hands closed with wrists straight and thumbs in front, head looking forward (subject facing tower truss 1). This pose gives the best results for extracting most measurements. Other scan poses can be considered as well if they would give better results for certain measurements.

Whole Body Scans

When the subject is properly prepared for a scan, he/she should step onto the scan platform. The subject should be positioned with his/her head looking straight forward with the chin held slightly elevated, the shoulders should be relaxed, and the back held straight. It is not necessary for the subject's eyes to be open (under most circumstances), so if the subject would be more comfortable, advise him/her that it is acceptable to close the eyes. Please note that there are no known harmful effects from exposure to the laser light. Please refer to the Safety Section of this user guide for more information on the laser. The subject should also be advised to breathe normally during the scan in order to avoid motion artifacts caused by a tensing of the body.

The operator should next instruct the subject on any positional correction that may be required. The best results are obtained if the following conditions are met:

• The subject is in the center of the scanner's field of view. Use the centering pointer as a guide. An imaginary line drawn from the pointer should bisect the head from a frontal view, and pass through the outermost portion of the ear from a side view. The pointer itself should be approximately 1 cm (0.5") above the subject's head.
• The subject is in the proper position so that when the scan is complete the nose is centered evenly in the DigiSize viewing window.
• The subject is relaxed while the scan is in progress. To prepare for this, the subject should be instructed to take several deep breaths, then relax. At no time should the subject hold his/her breath. In some cases, it might be necessary to scan a person more than one time in order to reassure him/her and to allow the subject to relax fully.

Staff

In order to scan and measure large numbers of subjects in an efficient manner, it is recommended to have the following staff:

Greeter
This person would schedule scanning appointments, greet subjects upon arrival, gather basic information (name, contact information, etc.), obtain signed release forms, and keep subjects in the waiting area until needed. When it is time for a subject to be scanned, the greeter directs the subjects to the dressing area and gives instructions about clothing, jewelry, hair, etc. After being scanned and measured, the subjects report back to the greeter if they are to be paid or dismissed.

Measurer
The measurer might apply landmark stickers and manually measure the subjects.

Scribe
A scribe assists the measurer and records the measurements onto the form which will be used to enter the data into the computer at a later time.

NOTE:
Since it takes more time to manually measure than it does to scan, it helps to have multiple measuring stations with a measurer and scribe for each station.

Scanner Operator
This staff member might be responsible for checking each subject's clothes and hair, directing the subject on where and how to pose, then checking for the correct pose. This person also operates the scanner, and checks the scan before saving it. The operator should always be aware of the scan environment to be sure that there is no interference with obtaining accurate scan data.

Continue to the Project Manager Tutorial.