The use of consumer depth cameras for 3D surface imaging of people with obesity: a feasibility study

Objective
Three dimensional (3D) surface imaging is a viable alternative to traditional body morphology measures, but the feasibility of using this technique with people with obesity has not been fully established. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the validity, repeatability and acceptability of a consumer depth camera 3D surface imaging system in imaging people with obesity.

Methods
The concurrent validity of the depth camera based system was investigated by comparing measures of mid-trunk volume to a gold-standard. The repeatability and acceptability of the depth camera system was assessed in people with obesity at a clinic.

Results
There was evidence of a fixed systematic difference between the depth camera system and the gold standard but excellent correlation between volume estimates (r2 = 0.997), with little evidence of proportional bias. The depth camera system was highly repeatable – low typical error (0.192 L), high intraclass correlation coefficient (>0.999) and low technical error of measurement (0.64%). Depth camera based 3D surface imaging was also acceptable to people with obesity.

Conclusion
It is feasible (valid, repeatable and acceptable) to use a low cost, flexible 3D surface imaging system to monitor the body size and shape of people with obesity in a clinical setting.