Oggetto: PARTNER SEARCH PMI7-EU-BSGSME-19

Richiesta di una PMI dell'Estonia alla ricerca di partner da includere in un loro progetto.
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<Reference n.: PMI7-EU-BSGSME-19>
<Deadline: 04/09/2007>
<Programme: >
<Project Title: DIGITAILOR - Physical representation of DIGItal body
measurements to give custom TAILORs worldwide market reach>
<Financial Scheme: >

<Description: The aim of the project is to develop a system to reduce
direct client involvment in the fitting of custom tailoring products.
This will be reached by developing a shape-shifting physical mannequin
that can take on the exact shape of nearly any human body based on
data from 3D body scanning process. Such a solution is beyond current
state of the art as so far the body measurements have been represented
only virtually.  
Despite the availability of lower cost ready-made or made-to-measure
garments, many people prefer custom tailored clothes as they are
crafted uniquely for the specific customer to get best possible fit.
However, this means a client has to come to the tailor for several
fittings and hence a tailor can serve only nearby customers. Fittings
also carry an extra cost for the customer - the time commitment.  In
addition, a tailor has to schedule her production according to the
dates that the customer can come for a fitting. That can prolong the
fulfilment of order and the increased wait is another barrier for
customers.
The project aims to eliminate these problems by creating a technology
that can replace customers in fittings. It has already became possible
to obtain extensive data on customer body shape by 3D body scanners.
The data can be used to create a virtual model of customer's body or
obtain precise measurements. However, a virtual model can not be used
in fitting of a physical suit. Therefore a mannequin will be developed
that can physically take the shape of the customer based on the data
from 3D body scanner.
As a result, customers can get scanned in the nearest body scanner and
send the measurements together with an order to a tailor equipped with
the system anywhere in the world. The tailor will use the mannequin to
perform fittings at any time convenient to her and mail the finished
garment to the customer.
Existing physical mannequins are not computer controlled and their
ability to change is limited to only most basic measurements. The
challenge in this project lies is in creating a physical design of the
mannequin that allows maximum freedom of change and precision while
using minimal number of parts to keep reliability high and cost
affordable; control algorithms that can govern the effects of
interrelation of moving inner parts on the dimensions of outer shell;
and software that ensures compatibility with most used 3D scan data
protocols. The project relies largely on input from users (tailors) to
identify the body dimensions relevant to custom tailoring and thus
limit the changing capacities of the mannequin to only those that are
necessary for tailoring, so that cost objectives can be met.
At the end of the project, the consortium will showcase a tested
demonstrator system that includes both male and female physical
mannequins capable of changing shape with sufficient freedom to be
usable in fittings of custom tailored clothes and that is driven by
software that uses raw data from different 3D body scanners as input.

Tailors using the system will have the following benefits:
o Increased market - instead of being limited to serving only local
clientele, they can take orders from all over the world. The increase
in potential market is most advantageous to tailors in sparsely
populated areas and lower income regions of EU whose market has been
very limited so far. Other big gainers are renowned tailors and
designers whose highest quality products are less affected by price
competition.
o Lower cost to customers - together with travel time, the fittings
can take up to 10 hours of time from the customer. Depending on
customer, the value of this time might be anything from a few percent
up to several times the price of the garment.
o More efficient production process - the mannequin is available for
the fitting at any moment, eliminating delays in production and giving
more freedom in scheduling. That increases productivity and shortens
order fulfillment time, both of which make the products more
competitive.

<Organisation Type: PMI>
<Partner Sought: Target Partner - SMEs:

Type of partner:
Custom tailoring company or fashion designer creating clothes for
individual customers

Role:
Providing requirements for the system
Testing the system in its business

Expertise:
Custom tailoring process
Body measurements and properties relevant in fittings of custom
tailored clothes