Efficient Virtual Garment Fit Evaluation Infrastructure based on Synthetic Avatar Target Customer Groups for MtM Application

Abstract

Customization becomes more and more popular and influences the product development process in apparel industry. In addition to individualize products, the fit of garments is very important for the customization. Numerous tools are used to take the right measurements, to transport individual posture information and to implement these data correctly into a product pattern based on a predefined construction system. In most cases the mass customization process takes place without a fitting session. Usually fit and design will be checked in a very last process step: When the product is already manufactured. Garment simulation with human avatar-model integration have found its application fields in the fashion industry replacing real try-ons by virtual try-ons with respective savings potentials. Especially when systems become very complex, with high requirements of quality like in MtM scenarios, when there are dozens of technical parameters and decisions and rules defined that influence the pattern / fit of the clothing there is a high need to systematize the validation of the overall system. Virtual product development is a powerful tool to change this process getting an early fit and design check. Putting together the knowledge of the 3D shape of the human body with the distribution of bodymeasurements, interdependencies and proportions and feeding this consequently into the process chain consisting of fit prediction / CAD with garment simulation is therefore the basic idea behind the system to be presented. By using an avatar test population representing the target group aimed for it is possible to check the sizing and to screen the fit of a product on individual bodies and postures in a quite short time to validate the MtM grading. This paper presents a practical approach on the way to implement a virtual fitting session to a mass customization product development process chain.