Using computer and electronic technology, Intellifit booths will soon make the clothing-store dressing room all but obsolete, benefiting the shopper, the store, and the clothing manufacturer.
Everyone, especially those with an awkward body type, has trouble finding clothes that fit well. Perhaps the pants fit around the waist but are too long or too short. Perhaps one is busty in the chest but short enough to have to shop in the children’s section. That leads to long, frustrating hours in the dressing room while one tries on article after article, trying to find something that not only fits but looks good. Making the problem worse, manufacturers have different standards for size. For a woman, particularly, this can turn a shopping trip into a long sojourn in the dressing room as she has to try on dozens of articles to find the one that is the right fit and look. Now, technology is about to provide a solution that will not only solve this long-standing problem, but promises to make the dressing room obsolete. It is called Intellifit.
What is Intellifit?
Intellifit is a device that measures the human body in order to ascertain every clothing size of the individual being scanned. Once scanned, one will have a print out of every clothing size (shirt, pants, dress, etc) collated by manufacturer. The results are also entered into a database that is accessible by clothing manufacturers, thus helping them discover how many people have what clothing sizes and allowing them to manufacture their products accordingly.
How Does it Work?
The Intellifit booth looks like a high tech tanning salon, with transparent walls. The customer first enters in his or her clothing preferences into a computer console. The customer answers questions like ‘What is your clothing preference for style, brand name, cost?’ “Do you like them slim, relaxed or loose?” “Do you like to have your jeans at, below or well below your waist?” And so on.
The customer then enters a booth, fully clothed. The booth contains 196 small antennas that send and receive low powered radio waves. The Intellifit device takes ten seconds to fully scan a human being, sending the radio waves that penetrate the clothing and bounces off but does not penetrate the person’s skin. The radio waves are similar to cell phone signals, but have 1/350th of the power. The Intellifit scanner records over 200,000 points on the human body, essentially creating a 3D map of the body. It then calculates the various clothing sizes, prints them out, and records them in a confidential, anonymous database. Using the Find What Fits database, with data provided by clothing manufacturers, the customer can locate which articles of clothing fit them best. They can then shop in retail stores or online.
Technological Specs
The Intellifit System is powered by a single, 110 volt, 15 amp outlet. The system includes a wireless Internet access for data uploads and software update downloads. The booth is eight feet tall and eight feet in diameter. There is a safety switch that prevents the system from operating unless the door is closed and the customer is standing in the correct position. The computer that handles the system is 37 inches by 24 inches by 16 inches and stands next to the booth. The touch screen that controls the system is 15 inches. The entire system can be situated virtually anywhere where there is an available power source.
What are the Benefits?
Not only will clothing manufacturers be able to determine what sort of sizes of clothing they need to produce, but the creation of made to order clothing will become cheaper and quicker to manufacture. The customer will be able to determine what sizes of clothing by manufacturer will fit them best. That means customers will spend far less time in a store dressing room and there will be fewer returns or alterations of clothing that do not fit. Customers will have the ability to shop with confidence at online stores, knowing the clothing they order will fit them. The bottom line of clothing retailers and manufacturers are thus improved, with lower costs and greater sales. Also, for women in particular, it means less aggravation on the part of husbands and significant others.
Since the Intellifit booth uses low powered radio waves that do not penetrate the skin, it is perfectly safe to use, even for pregnant women and people with heart pace makers. The technology was first used at airport security stations to detect hidden weapons. No longer must the shopper first disrobe, and then put on protective latex apparel and dark goggles, transforming herself from a real person into a character straight out of a science fiction movie. The Intellifit process is effortless. One steps in, scans, steps out, and reads the printout, while wearing ones own clothing. It is convenient, safe, and entirely private. No picture or image is produced of the customer. Only the customer gets his or her own measurements.
The Intellifit process will be of particular benefit for those of big and tall sizes. Many garments made for people of those sizes are poorly designed. Some manufacturers assume that as a person grows bigger, they also grow taller, which often not the case. With access to an Intellifit database, clothing manufacturers can better design clothing for people of all sizes and shapes. Manufacturers can better execute ad campaigns based on what is actually tried on and bought.
Getting “Intellifited” is free to the customer. The cost of the Intellifit system is borne by the clothing stores and manufacturers in return for access to the database of clothing sizes that the system produces.
When Will Intellifit be Available?
Currently a number of clothing chains are field testing Intellifit booths. These include Lane Bryant, Macy's, Lands' End, Levi’s, and David's Bridal. Macy’s has them in stores in suburban Philadelphia. A few stores in Europe also have Intellifit booths. The Intellifit Company, which manufactures the booths, hopes to roll out the system nation wide in 2006.