3D Ear Scanning Enables a Platform for Wearable Computing - 15.175

K. Hatzilias and J. Thompson, "3D Ear Scanning Enables a Platform for Wearable Computing", in Proc. of 6th Int. Conf. on 3D Body Scanning Technologies, Lugano, Switzerland, 2015, pp. 175-183, https://doi.org/10.15221/15.175.

Title:

3D Ear Scanning Enables a Platform for Wearable Computing

Authors:

Karol HATZILIAS, Jacob THOMPSON

United Sciences, Atlanta, GA, USA

Abstract:

The ear and ear canal present exceptional challenges for 3D scanning technology. In addition to the typical challenges associated with scanning body parts (dynamic/moving components, large skin composition variability, etc.) the unique challenges of the ear and ear canal include the limited diameter of the canal, hair and wax interference, and sharp bends and undercuts in the shape of the canal itself. Although navigating and acquiring data within this small skin covered cavity are challenging, the impact of such technology has large implications across a range of industries (medical, military, industrial, aerospace, music, and consumer electronics).
Herein, we describe the design, calibration, use, and experimental results of a non-invasive, in ear, 3D scanner. The eFit ear scanner allows for rapid, real time modeling of both the inner ear canal and outer ear of individuals. This technology has been validated across thousands of individuals with a volumetric scanning accuracy of 90 ?m. The design and production of a custom in-ear product utilizing data from the eFit scanner is also described to further establish a use case of 3D ear scanning. The ear and ear canal present exceptional challenges for 3D scanning technology. In addition to the typical challenges associated with scanning body parts (dynamic/moving components, large skin composition variability, etc.) the unique challenges of the ear and ear canal include the limited diameter of the canal, hair and wax interference, and sharp bends and undercuts in the shape of the canal itself. Although navigating and acquiring data within this small skin covered cavity are challenging, the impact of such technology has large implications across a range of industries (medical, military, industrial, aerospace, music, and consumer electronics). Herein, we describe the design, calibration, use, and experimental results of a non-invasive, in ear, 3D scanning system (eFit). The eFit ear scanner allows for rapid, real-time modeling of the human ear - both the ear canal and outer ear. This technology has been validated across thousands of individuals with a volumetric scanning accuracy of better than 90 micron. The design and production of a custom in-ear product utilizing data from the eFit scanner is also described to further establish use cases of 3D ear scanning.

Details:

Full paper: 15.175.pdf
Proceedings: 3DBST 2015, 27-28 Oct. 2015, Lugano, Switzerland
Pages: 175-183
DOI: 10.15221/15.175

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Proceedings: © Hometrica Consulting - Dr. Nicola D'Apuzzo, Switzerland, hometrica.ch.
Authors retain all rights to individual papers, which are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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