Fashion gets a 3D makeover

Bodymetrics, a London-based company providing a 'Body Mapping' platform, has announced the launch of the world's first full 3D body scanner developed in collaboration with PrimeSense, the leader in sensing and recognition technologies.

The new 3D body scanner, which uses eight PrimeSense 3D sensors to map the body's measurements and shape, is being piloted at New Look’s Westfield Stratford to help female customers find the best fitting jeans.

"The body is the last piece of information to go digital. Most of your life is already digital - your friends, your music, your bank account - all accessible on-line, but your body is not. Bodymetrics together with PrimeSense is enabling consumers to store and access all their body information online and link this to retailers. Now, body scanning becomes a powerful platform for many retailers to provide the personalized fit and service their customers have always wanted," says Suran Goonatilake, CEO, Bodymetrics.

Previous generations of body scanners have been expensive and too complex for most clothing retailers to realistically deploy due to moving parts such as lasers or millimeter wave detectors. Bodymetrics' body scanner was developed over a 10-month period and will be a fraction of the cost of previous body scanners, and it is easily installed at a retail location within a few hours.

This new technology has the potential to revolutionise the way consumers buy clothes online through the virtual ‘try on’ of outfits enabling customers to gauge a more realistic fit before purchase. It could also be the solution to reduce the number of returned clothes due to incorrect fit, with an estimated 20% to 40% of all online clothing purchases are returned to the retailer because they don't fit.

"Right now a lot of technologies are coming together: social media, body-scanners, and online accounts that store your body measurements. We believe soon most retailers will install body scanners and allow customers to access their Bodymetrics account online and through their phones. You will soon be able to shop for garments that fit your size, shape and style, and also
share these experiences with your friends on Facebook," adds
Goonatilake.

For the last two years, Bodymetrics has been providing a body-mapping service at Selfridges, for its premium jeans, and currently the service grosses more than $5,000 per square foot, making it one of the most successful retail formats in the world. Bodymetrics is rolling out its service to all sectors of the global apparel retail industry from high-end to high-street, due to raising $7m in funding, primarily from its strategic partner, TAL Group.

Image: Bodymetrics at New Look