According to the International OCD Foundation, 1 in 50 people are diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). The 5th edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), describes BDD as a part of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders. Current psychiatric evaluation diagnoses BDD symptoms using a picture chart (top picture).
Dr. Jaime Feusner of the UCLA Psychiatry Deptartment begins to research new ways to better evaluate BDD. I programmed the foundation of his idea of a 3D evaluation. Most people with BDD actually perceive specific body parts to be disproportionate, rather than the whole body being skinnier or fatter.
Using a 3D scanned people and Autodesk Maya, I simplified the mesh while still keeping their natural proportions. I also used blendshapes to create exaggerated minimum and maximium versions of different body parts, a very time consuming process.
I then imported these objects into Unity to incorporate user interface. The object's materials can also be changed to modify skin and hair color. This app is ultimately built for the web and allows communication between Unity and the site's backend. Check out the video (second picture) for a demo.
I documented and created tutorials to allow another programmer to continue updates.
The research study continues under Dr. Feusner's lab.