Digital human modeling and its applications: Review and future prospects

Subtitle:

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Yu, Xuyao^a | Shi, Yao^a | Yu, Hui^{b; *} | Liu, Tao^a | An, Jiabao^b | Zhang, Lixin^a | Su, Yijin^b | Xu, Kexin^a

Affiliations: [a] State Key Laboratory of Precision Measuring Technology and Instruments, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China | [b] Key Laboratory of Biomedical Testing Technology and Instruments in Tianjin, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Hui Yu, College of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering Biomedical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China. Tel.: +86 138 2020 3695; Fax: +86 22 2740 6233; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The digital human modeling combines information technology with bioscience, applied to analog study from DNA molecule and protein to cell and tissue, as well as organ. It has been widely implemented in various fields such as aviation, national defense, film and television, sports and medical treatment. This paper sorts relative research achievements and progress in recent years and summarizes issues and challenges of research work. The purpose of this paper is to provide references for the development of Digital Human Modeling. METHODS: Basing on the development plans proposed by Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and current theories, we sorted academic achievements and relative references since the beginning of the digital human concept until 2014 into four aspects, which were named as Visible Human, Virtual Physical Human, Virtual Physiological Human, and Intelligent Virtual Human. We collected information of data acquisition, data analysis and dataset establishment for Visible Human. We outlined the Virtual Physical Human references in four physical categories, including radiation, ultrasonic, electrics, and mechanics. For Virtual Physiological Human, relative researches related to the physiological and biochemical changes of human body were categorized in four aspects as gene molecules, cells, and organs. Relative researches of Virtual Brain Human were mainly concentrated on virtual human brain and virtual human control. RESULTS: According to the differences in investigations and applications requirements of Digital Human in all aspects, we classified, analyzed and concluded extensive preference data. The overall plan of Digital Human, as well as technical routes, work plans, present states, goals, results and application value in each stage of research was summarized. We discussed the technical issues existing in each aspect of Digital Human, along with the urgent key technologies including data collection, data processing, and modeling. CONCLUSION: Analyzing the core technologies and the general technical schemes in the field of Digital Human, this paper summarizes the technical solutions, research results and technical problems of major researchers. The future prospects of Digital Human are reviewed.

Keywords: Virtual visible human, virtual biophysics human, virtual physiological human, virtual intelligent human

DOI: 10.3233/XST-150489

Journal: Journal of X-Ray Science and Technology, vol. 23, no. 3, pp. 385-400, 2015