3-D body scanners size up Australians

Australia's largest apparel retailer Target has plans to scan up to 20,000 adult men and women using 3-D body scanners from Alvanon (New York, NY) to identify and analyze the dominant body shapes and measurements of consumers.

It is the first time such a major and detailed survey of the Australian body shape has been undertaken since World War II.

The announcement follows the news that researchers at Aston University (Birmingham, UK) are using 3-D body scanners to help the retailers understand the size and shape of children.

In the study, consumers will be invited to stand, fully clothed, in an Alvanon AlvaScan booth and in less than 60 seconds the scanner will collect 200,000 data points on the body from which a 3-D shape will be generated.

From this 3-D body shape, Alvanon will extract 55 technical measurements which will be used in Target’s garment design and making process. The company will also use the information to create consistent sizing information for its clothing labels.

-- by Dave Wilson, Senior Editor, Vision Systems Design