A Program for Calculating the Geometrical Properties of Three-dimensional Shape Using a Microcomputer

Abstract

This paper is a report of a program for calculating the geometrical properties of a body which is represented by a moiré photograph. The geometrical properties include centroid, volume, surface area, moment of inertia of volume, and principal axis. Three-dimensional measurements of specimens have sometimes been carried out in physical anthropology but when the information was obtained from the moiré topography of primate bones or human body surfaces, often it was not sufficiently analyzed because of lack of attempts to calculate 3-dimensional geometrical properties.
This program can be used on an inexpensive system which includes digitizing unit and microcomputer. It is coded in BASIC language and based on comprehensive algorithm.