Office of Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports

FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute


Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-78/14

Title and Subtitle: Three-dimensional anthropometry of the adult face

Report Date: March 1978

Authors: Young JW, Pinski MS

Abstract: This study describes a new three-dimensional anatomical axis system based on four conventional anthropometrical face landmarks. Coincident as a coordinate (orthogonal) axis system, this reference system was developed to provide convenient orientation of the head segment and any surface landmark in three-dimensional space for direct comparisons with subject populations.

Forty- four anthropometric landmarks on the face and adjacent areas are defined and measured on 30 adult female and male test subjects participating in a study to evaluate protective breathing equipment. These data provide a basic data base for test subject selections, dimensional correlations of face types with equipment performance, and preliminary design criteria (gross structure dimensions) for dummy test devices and protective-type breathing equipment. Individual sets of data points for each subject are presented in tabular format for the convenience of data use. These data describe only a mid-range adult population and do not represent the dimensional range or combinations of facial characteristics typical of children or older adults.

Key Words: Anthropometry, Anatomical axis system

No. of Pages: 38

Last updated: Friday, June 1, 2012