Anthropometry is the scientific study of the measurements and proportions of the human body. Since the inception of the field in the late 1700s, anthropometry has been useful in anatomy, anthropology, history, kinesiology, and even criminology, among many other fields of study. Today, anthropometry has applications outside the sciences as well, including areas like clothing and furniture design. Wherever your anthropometry career takes you, we recommend bringing the Rosscraft Centurion Kit along with you.
For more than 30 years, Rosscraft has been the leader in creating and manufacturing high-quality and easy-to-use anthropometric instruments, and the Centurion Kit is no exception. The company’s extensive Research and Development Division, headed by Dr. William Ross, leads the industry in innovative design and technology, as seen in the Segmometer 4, included in this kit. Rosscraft researchers invented the segmometer using standard carpenter’s tape, cotter-pin pointers, rubber bands, and epoxy glue; this simple prototype turned out to be more effective than an athromometer at predicting height and direct segmental lengths. Today, the segmometer is an essential tool for complete and reliable human measuring.
The kit’s Headsquare is another example of the ways Rosscraft is responsive to the needs of scientists and health professionals. For many projects, it may be impractical to bring along a stadiometer; the Headsquare solves this problem by providing a retractable measuring tape affixed to a headboard, allowing for easy measuring of standing and sitting height.
You can see Rosscraft’s innovations even in items as straightforward as basic anthropometric tape, which Rosscraft has improved by adding a notch and a patch zero indicator to help with orientation and accurate reading. Rosscraft is also the creator of the Slim Guide skinfold caliper, which offers some advantages over the traditional Harpenden caliper. The Harpenden caliper, while certainly an excellent and reliable device, is also fragile and expensive. Rosscraft’s Slim Guide is constructed from durable ABS plastic, and can thus handle significant wear and tear. You can drop it, you can hurl it against the wall, you can add it to your juggling routine — the Slim Guide is virtually indestructible. It’s also far less expensive than the Harpenden, yet provides equally accurate results. Both the tape and the Slim Guide are included in the Centurion Kit.
You’ll also find two kinds of Campbell calipers in this kit, named for Rosscraft’s Robert Campbell, who invented the double sliding branch principle. Rosscraft holds the patent on this design; the Campbell is the only caliper on the market with long branches that do not bind under pressure. Because Campbell calipers provide consistent firm pressure along the length of the branches, your measurements will be more accurate than with any other kind of caliper. The Centurion Kit includes the Campbell 10 small bone caliper and the Campbell 20, for larger measurements.
In case you need any assistance in using your new Rosscraft tools, the kit also comes with a downloadable, interactive textbook featuring thousands of illustrations, graphics, and links. You’ll also receive a Power Point instructional CD to assist you in correct use of each of the kit’s instruments. All recommended techniques and instructions are in accordance with best practices outlined by the International Society for Kinanthropometry. Whether you are a scientist studying a specific population, a fitness expert working with a range of clients both amateur and professional, an epidemiologist researching the effects of disease, or a student developing your skills, you will find Rosscraft’s Centurion Kit to be an invaluable part of your practice. If you’re an ergonomist, you might also want to check out our ErgoKit® I, which contains everything you need to make ergonomic assessments.
Learn more about ergonomic tools and measuring equipment at TheHumanSolution.com.