This Belgian invention could revolutionize the way you shop online

Technology

With this 3D avatar, you can finally order clothes in the right size.

UAntwerp and the Institute of Microelectronics and Components (Imec) have developed an online tool that can predict and visualize the dimensions of a buyer’s body in 3D. With “Shavatar”, the founders want to respond to the growth of e-commerce and counteract the high number of new orders.

More and more people are buying clothes online: the European clothing sector generates 13.2% of its sales through e-commerce, and a study has shown that online sales will increase by an average of 8.6% per year by 2023. In addition, coronavirus is part of this upward trend. However, the high number of returns poses a problem: up to 70% of items ordered online are returned, often because the garment was not suitable.

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Shavatar wants to change that. “I have developed a model that can predict and visualize the shape of the human body in 3D using a limited number of parameters, with an average margin of error of only seven millimeters compared to the actual shape of the body.”explains Femke Danckaers, co-founder. “The consumer can do it at home, a scanner is not necessary.”

A bespoke avatar

The tool that consumers use to create their own “avatar” was developed in consultation with 36 players in the fashion world. In the short term, it will be integrated into online shops. In the meantime, interested parties can already Shavatar’s websiteClothing sizes are recommended for more than fifty brands.

In addition to improving the business model of retailers, the tool will provide valuable data for the fashion industry, the founders said. The knowledge of the body dimensions of consumers will enable brands to further optimize their collections and adapt them to their own target group.

With Belga