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Threads Tale AtelierGroup 4 - Final Presentation

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Threads Tale AtelierGroup 4 - Final Presentation

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Our photogrammetry experiment with phone App sanner

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Our photogrammetry experiment with phone App sanner

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Group4 -Photogrammetry scanner with phone - example

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research- Trnio

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research- Trnio

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Trnio Inc Trnio review - free 3D scanning app for iOS devices

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Trnio is a mobile 3D scanning app from Trnio Inc, a software editor based in the United States. Pronounced [turn-knee-o], this 3D scanning app converts photos into 3D models. It is compatible with iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) that have iOS 8.0 or later.

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research - Trnio

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research - Trnio

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The photos that the user captures are then processed on a cloud platform. This step may take from 10 to 45 minutes depending on the resolution.When the process is finished, users can trim their 3D scans to remove excess material.

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research - Trnio

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research - Trnio

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This  photogrammetry 3D scanning app operates in two modes:

Object mode: requires the user to move around an object in a circular motion.

Scene mode: enables free-formed 3D scanning, ideal for capturing larger objects and/or outdoor environments.

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Heighten your skills with Trnio Plus's advanced 3D capabilities. Optimize your production with crystal clear captures, effortless editing and adaptable exports.

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research

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Canvas

Capture 3D scanner app

Heges 3D scanner app

itSeez3D

Polycam

Qlone 3D scanner app

Scandy Pro 3D scanner app

SCANN3D

Trnio 3D scanner app

3D Creator by Sony

3DsizeMe from TechMed3D

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3D scanner apps for iOS and Android were designed to be practical and accessible, but which solution to choose? We tell you everything!

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10 Best 3D Scanner Apps of 2021 (iPhone & Android)

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research

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Photogrammetry scanner with phone research

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Key point about photogrammetry scanning with phone：Time，Effort，Result

Trnio

Scandy Pro

Qlone

ItSeez3D

Bellus3D

Heges

Capture 3D

Sony 3D Creator

Canvas

ARitize360

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - TTSWTRS

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - TTSWTRS

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TTSWTRS VIRTUAL 360 SHOW OF "TECHNOLOGICAL SINGULARITY"

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FW21 collection of Ukrainian fashion brand TTSWTRS

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - TTSWTRS

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - TTSWTRS

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The project of photogrammetry studio "Deep3" :11 looks for VR promo-campaign of TECHNOLOGICAL SINGULARITY

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Napapijri 

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Napapijri 

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The project of The Fabricant and Napapijri which using the digital catalogue and digital showroom, it is an alternative to traditional photo and shoots. To let customers have a more real feeling about the fabric of the clothing.

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Napapijri 

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Napapijri 

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Internal Sales + Digital Catalogue + Digital Showroom

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Digital Fashion Design and Animation Start-Up. Operating out of Amsterdam and combining talents from the fashion and animation industries. We create hyper-real digital fashion experiences that are more affordable than the regular photo-shoot, catwalk, lookbook model.

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Research of brands that use photogrammetry

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Research of brands that use photogrammetry

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Apps, virtual reality and videogames；
Digital fashion weeks；The Fabricant and the new digital content

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Over the past few weeks, much has been said and written about the fashion world's reaction to coronavirus. An industry with a global value of 2.3 trillion euros, held up by a complex and delicate chain of processing, distribution and marketing processes. The main points of contact between this industry and its consumers is still offline events: fashion shows, showroom presentations and the retail experience. The main appeal of the New Luxury is in fact more psychological than physical: a fashion that loses its fashion shows and its demimonde made of events, boutiques and fashion weeks is a fashion that loses its mystique. In a historical period when these pivotal experiences are no longer feasible, the fashion system must find a way to propose an alternative. In recent months, this alternative has been digital fashion.

Apps, virtual reality and videogames

According to a report by Vogue Business, in the last month there has been a significant increase in downloads for all apps that allow you to digitally interact with clothes. Apps like Forma and Drest have seen their users increase by 50% in a month. Only in Italy, for example, during the first week of April, Drest downloads quadrupled compared to the previous month. In the world of video games, however, games that allow you to customize outfits and avatars have made remarkable leaps forward. The three most important were certainly Animal Crossing, League of Legends, Fortnite and - in which numerous digitized fashion items were infiltrated - but also a platform like Roblox, which added new Nike digital products to its database on last Air Max Day. One brand that has long mastered the boom of virtual reality was Gucci, which a few months ago completely restructured its app, allowing users to use augmented reality to digitally wear clothes or display furniture objects directly in their own home, as well as interact with the tight community around the brand.

Digital fashion weeks

The quickest reaction to the new challenges posed by the pandemic came from China. On February 10th it was announced that Shanghai Fashion Week would be postponed but just over two weeks later, on February 18, it was announced that fashion week would take place digitally, via a live-stream broadcast through the T-Mall and Taobao apps. The formats of the videos were different: some brands presented the Fall-Winter collection, others the Spring-Summer that was already on sale, some went live, others used pre-recorded videos, some presentations had a real audio commentary as in a telesales and others were more or less traditional fashion shows. The fundamental fact, aside from all possible variations, is however that the fashion week was held, and a much greater number of brands (more than a hundred) had the opportunity to present their creations. This new format has gained two and a half million views and maintained a very good sales conversions rate. Moscow Fashion Week was also held in the same way and, this summer, fashion weeks in London and Helsinki will also be digitized.

From the point of view of industry and buyers, however, the digitization of fashion shows is only a partially sufficient surrogate. Glitches in the videos, connection issues and low resolution prevented you from correctly evaluating some details of the garments, their quality and materials. Moreover, the ten minutes that a fashion show usually occupies is just the tip of the iceberg of a fashion week: important moments such as the meeting between journalists and creative directors to comment more closely on the details of the creations or the impossibility of the traditional visit to the showroom are essential factors that in Shanghai have been missed and that the general public does not see. Shanghai Fashion Week in its digital format was in fact considered more a presentation for the public than for industry insiders - a mass teleshopping, so to speak, organized not for buyers and journalists but for individuals who will then go to buy the garment just seen at the press of a button.

The Fabricant and the new digital content

In short, the current crisis in retail and traditional fashion can become a breeding ground for experimentation. In an article from last November, nss magazine had talked about a digital dress by the Dutch company The Fabricant. If a few months ago that company was working in its own niche and accepted only a few commissions from selected clients, today it already has important digital projects behind it. The most recent is the collaboration with Napapijri, for which The Fabricant has created an entirely digital campaign, without photographers, models or concrete clothes, saving on physical resources and ensuring a space of creative freedom much greater than what a photoshoot could boast. Something similar happened with the recent digital campaign of Selfridges created by DIGI-GAL, while the Rohbau brand was recently launched that for 40th "dresses" photos of its customers with a series of digital hoodies designed by Central Saint Martins student, Assaf Reeb.

At a time when many voices within the system are wondering if fashion will be the same again after the pandemic is over and when the same players of the fashion system are thinking about how to reconfigure the physiognomy of the industry, digital fashion can certainly propose some alternative solutions, but it must also be considered that the success and longevity of the fashion industry relates to the daily lives of consumers - consumers who, between spending money on a digital hoodie or for a physical, will tend to buy something they can wear in person and not make the avatar wear some game or digitally mount on a photograph. Luxury is perhaps a frivolous industry, but at the end of the day it is also one of the most concrete ones, one of the most tangible products that you can have and wear without the mediation of any screen.

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Can digital fashion save the fashion industry?

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Over the past few weeks, much has been said and written about the fashion world's reaction to coronavirus. An industry with a global value of 2.3 trillion euros, held up by a complex and delicate chain of processing, distribution and marketing processes.

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Balenciaga with photogrammetry  - Balenciaga

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Balenciaga with photogrammetry  - Balenciaga

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Brands send garments to Ohzone, which captures them in its “photogrammetry booth", then enhances via 3D, including removing the mannequin. Retailers can embed the resulting image into e-commerce sites, and customers can pinch and zoom in minute detail.

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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For Balenciaga's Spring 2019 Ready-To-Wear collection, copenhagen-based visual artist Yilmaz Sen combined full body photogrammetry scans and live action footage, then deformed each look in various ways.

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Credits:

Director: Yilmaz Sen
Styling: Lotta Volkova

Production: Makropol
Cinematographer: Peter Hjort
Photogrammetry: Rigsters
Post production assets: Viljam Smed, Lennart Wendt
Production designer: Anna Cathrine Colberg
Production coordinator: Sarah Chheiber 
Sound: Mads Michelsen

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Balenciaga human 3D scanning

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Examples of brands that use photogrammetry - Balenciaga

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Balenciaga 19S Campaign

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I made 6 campaign videos for Balenciaga's Spring 2019 Ready-To-Wear collection.

My intention was to explore the anatomical limits of the human body. For this I combined full body photogrammetry scans and live action footage, then deformed each look in various ways.

You can see them down below.

Credits:

Director: Yilmaz Sen
Styling: Lotta Volkova

Production: Makropol
Cinematographer: Peter Hjorth
Photogrammetry: Rigsters
Sound: Mads Michelsen
Post production assets: Viljam Smed, Lennart Wendt
Production designer: Anna Cathrine Colberg
Production coordinator: Sarah Chheiber
Gaffer: Aslak Lytthans

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Balenciaga Spring 19 Campaign - YILMAZ SEN

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I made 6 campaign videos for Balenciaga's Spring 2019 Ready-To-Wear collection. My intention was to explore the anatomical limits of the human body. For this I combined full body photogrammetry scans and live action footage, then deformed each...

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Featuring a series of volumetric videos, the model was captured in a variety of outfits in 360° and then integrated directly into an interactive 3D experience.
Pose XR was launched at the Victoria and Albert Museum on the weekend of the 24th September 2021 as part of Digital Design Weekend and London Design Festival.

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An original concept by FIA and dandelion burdock, Pose XR is a virtual tool to art direct your own fashion shoot. Featuring a series of volumetric videos, the 3D experience can be controlled in your web browser via a series of parameters with almost infinite possibilities.

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Virtual Immersive E-commerce for Sustainability

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PANGAIA teamed up with AnamXR™ and the Fashion Innovation Agency to create an industry first virtual immersive experience.

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The FLWRDWN™ Virtual Immersive Experience - an industry first

To celebrate the launch of the new FLWRDWN™ collection, PANGAIA teamed up with AnamXR™ and the Fashion Innovation Agency to create an industry first virtual immersive experience. The FIA team initiated the collaboration and produced a "Making Of" video around the creation of the experience, showing a glimpse into the future of e-commerce. Not only does this experience allow for interactive shopping, it brings the consumer into a photorealistic, immersive environment, where they can experience the brand's world and educate themselves on the inspiration and science behind the product.

"The FLWRDWN by PANGAIA / AnamXR experience has enabled us to deliver a unique way of exploring the incredible stories of science to our customers, in a playful and highly engaging way. Through game-engine technology, we believe that we can now deliver a new level of customer experience that will increase engagement and drive a deeper connection with our brand."

Marketing Director, PANGAIA

"AnamXR's cloud-based virtual e-commerce platform is dedicated to not only helping brands transform atoms into pixels to reduce their reliance on raw resources, but cinematically communicate the stories behind their products including regenerative design, materials science and social initiatives."

Co-Founder and CEO, AnamXR

This experience presents a new era of virtual shopping experiences that are only limited by imagination.

The experience was an invitation-only live event that took place digitally. Guests had a 2-hour timeframe to join the experience and explore an arctic themed virtual world and store, showcasing PANGAIA's new FLWRDWN™ puffer jackets. This project demonstrated a world's first web-based platform, using game engine technology to scale virtual commerce, making it accessible on any smart device. Participants were able to visit Antarctica with minimal carbon footprint, exploring the story and sustainability credentials behind the collection, including materials research and brand ethos.

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Virtual Immersive E-commerce for Sustainability | Fashion Innovation Agency

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A world's first web-based platform, using game engine technology to scale virtual commerce, making it accessible on any smart device. Participants were able to visit Antarctica with minimal carbon footprint, exploring the story and sustainability credentials behind the collection, including materials research and brand ethos.

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Volumetric Photogrammetry in LCF, Lime Grove

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Volumetric Photogrammetry in LCF, Lime Grove

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Photogrammetry +

CLO3D Render Turntable view +

Photoshop for Background

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The measurement of the human body can be divided into three major distinguished groups: laser-scanning, projection of light patterns, combination modeling and image processing.

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Home / Knowledge / Article / Textile / 3D Body Scanning Technology with application to the fashion and apparel industry

By: Dr. Nicola D'Apuzzo

Homometrica Consulting
Zurich, Switzerland
www.homometrica.ch

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an overview of 3D body scanning technologies with applications to the fashion and apparel industry.

Complete systems for the digitization of the human body exist since more than fifteen years. One of the main users of this technology with application in the textile field was the military industry. In fact, body scanning technology is being successfully employed since many years in military bases for a fast selection of the correct size of uniforms for the entire staff. Complete solutions were especially developed for this field of application. Many different research projects were issued for the exploitation of the same technology in the commercial field. Experiments were performed and start-up projects are to time running in different parts of the world by installing full body scanning systems in various locations such as shopping malls, boutiques or dedicated scanning centers. Everything is actually ready to be exploited and all the required hardware, software and solutions are available: full body scanning systems, software for the automatic and reliable extraction of body measurements, e-kiosk and web solutions for the presentation of garments, high-end and low-end virtual-tryon systems. However, complete solutions in this area have still not yet found the expected commercial success. Today, with the on-going large cost reduction given by the appearance of new competitors, methods for digitization of the human body becomes more interesting for the fashion and apparel industry. Therefore, a large expansion of these technologies is expected in the near future.

To date, different methods are used commercially for the measurement of the human body. These can be divided into three major distinguished groups: laser-scanning, projection of light patterns, combination modeling and image processing. The different solutions have strengths and weaknesses that profile their suitability for specific applications. This paper gives an overview of their differences and characteristics and expresses clues for the selection of the adequate method. A special interest is given to practical examples of the commercial exploitation of human body digitization with applications to the fashion and apparel industry.

Key words: 3D surface scanning, laser scanning, white light projection, human body

1. INTRODUCTION

Complete systems for the digitization of the human body exist since more than fifteen years. One of the main users of this technology was the movie industry. Its visual effects had to appear more and more realistic and this was not possible any more by using computer graphics only. A new idea stuck: replace the real actors with virtual ones. A representative example is the movie Teminator 2, which was turned in 1991, already fifteen years ago. At that time, the cost of a full body scanner was still over 400'000 US$. The military industry had also these equipments, but its application was primarily ergonomics: seats of combat airplanes could, for example, be fitted exactly to pilots.

New methods and techniques were continuously developed for the digitization of the human body and new tools were introduced for a more efficient use of the resulting data. The number of available solutions increased. With the possibility of a massive cost reduction given by the new technologies, human body digitization became interesting also to other fields of application. With the time, the different solutions profiled themselves more clearly with their strengths and weaknesses. For the selection of the adequate solution for a specified application, it is therefore important to know deeply their characteristics and differences.

3D scanning technology can also be applied for the production of personalized mannequins. In this case the anthropometric mannequin is built with regard of the measured sizes of a real person.

The most recent application of anthropometric mannequins resulted from the combination with virtual-try-on solutions. Virtual-try-on solutions are usually proposing fully parametrized general human body models, as for example from OptiTex14 (Figure 21 left). In this case the user can modify the digital body model by changing different parameters. By introducing real anthropometric data, these models can be transformed into virtual anthropometric mannequins (Figure 21 right, from IFTH18), offering the same advantages of the real anthropometric mannequins but in a virtual environment.

In the case of virtual-try-on of eyewear, the benefits are manifolds for both customers and optical stores. From the point of view of the client: the unique high tech buying experience, the quick and easy way to select frames, the time saved on frame pre-selection, the possibility to share the frame selection with family and friends, the ability to see himself with new frames without lenses, the fast virtual try-on of new collections, and the private selection by Internet without obligation or embarrassment. From the point of view of the optical store: the augmented attractiveness of the store due to a unique purchasing experience, the reduced number of rejected frames due to accurate measurement, the saving on stock by holding less frame inventory, the extended availability of large collection of frames due to the virtual inventory, and the optician time saved by obtaining pre-selection of frames by the client.

4.3 Size surveying

Recently, human body size surveys have become a complete necessity. All institution and companies working on ergonomics are expecting information for practical immediate exploitation. In fact, it had been realized that anthropometric data could improve the quality of product design and usability, workstation and work place planning, and even laborer safety in certain environment. In the fashion industry, this information is used to tailor the size and shape of cloth items to stature and body form of the actual population.

National surveys have been initiated in the past in UK (SizeUK, 11'000 subjects scanned, 130 body measurement for each subject), in USA (SizeUSA), but recently also in Sweden and in France17. The standard posture used in all surveys features the legs and arms slightly apart of the human body, elbows and hand joints slightly bent. This to allow an automatic determination of the important anthropometric measures of the human body (ISO7250). The most recent size surveys (Sweden and France) have added additional sitting and standing postures. New surveys lunched in China also added the 3D measurement of hands and feet.

4.4 Anthropometric mannequins

The shape of anthropometric dummies are based on statistical studies and recently on the results of size surveys. These special dummies are available commercially for babies, kids, teenagers at any growth stage, as well as men and women in many morphological conformations, from slim to extra heavy, with dimensions based on worldwide morphology market research. The anthropometric dummies represent exactly the conformations present in the population and assure that apparel collections are tailored to today's customer stature and form.

Figure 20 shows some examples of anthropometric mannequins. Different variations exist in the market regarding the form (fix mannequins, fully articulated), as well as regarding the employed materials. In some cases, special materials simulate the behavior of soft tissue.

The technology is very promising, however the costs related to such complete solutions is still limiting its exploitation for made-to-measure applications.

5. CONCLUSION

In this paper was presented an overview of the different 3D digitization technologies used to measure the surface of the human body. A special interest was given to practical examples of the commercial exploitation of human body digitization with applications to the fashion and apparel industry.

REFERENCES

1. Vitronic GmbH, http://www.vitronic.com

2. Cyberware Inc., http://www.cyberware.com

3. Vorum Research Corp., http://www.vorum.com

4. InSpeck Inc., http://www.inspeck.com

5. Breuckmann GmbH, http://www.breuckmann.com

6. IVB GmbH Jena, http://www.ivb-jena.de

7. Human Solutions GmbH, http://www.human-solutions.de

8. Singular Inversions, http://www.facegen.com

9. N. D'Apuzzo, �Intellifit revolutionary full body scanner�, Human Body Measurement Newsletter 1(1), April 2005, http://www.homometrica.ch/en/newsletter.html

10. B. B�ttgen et al., �High-speed and high-sensitive demodulation pixel for 3D imaging�,

in: Corner, B.D., Li, P., Tocheri M. (Eds.), Three-Dimensional Image Capture and Application VII,
Proc. of SPIE-IS&T Electronic Imaging, SPIE Vol. 6056, San Jose (CA), USA, 2006.

11. E-Measurement Solutions Ltd., http://www.e-tape.co.uk

12. Wicks and Wilson Ltd., http://www.wwl.co.uk

13. Assyst-Bullmer GmbH, http://www.assyst-bullmer.com

14. OptiTex International Ltd., http://www.optitex.com

15. Stellure Ltd., http://www.stellure.com

16. Visionix, �Visionix 3D iView�, Human Body Measurement Newsletter 1(2), September 2005,
http://www.homometrica.ch/en/newsletter.html

17. J.-M. Surville, �Advances in 3D acquisition�, Proc. of 3D modelling 2005, Sept. 27-28, 2005, Paris, France.

18. IFTH, http://www.ifth.org

19. Bodymetrics Ltd., http://www.bodymetrics.com

20. CSM3D International Ltd., http://www.shoemaster.co.uk

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Nicola D'Apuzzo received his Master's Degree in 1996 in mechanical engineering at the ETH Zurich in the field of robotics and biomedical engineering. He then worked as a research assistant at the Institute of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing of ETH Zurich and he received his Ph.D. degree in 2003 in the field of human body measurement. He is highly specialized in 3D surface digitization techniques, particularly in applications for human body measurements. In April 2004, he founded Homometrica Consulting in Zurich offering consulting services regarding 3D measurement of the human body. More information about the activities of Homometrica Consulting -Dr. Nicola D'Apuzzo can be found at the following web address: www.homometrica.ch. Email: n.dapuzzo@homometrica.ch

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Nowadays, 3D scanning technologies are applied to different parts of the human body and systems are commercially available for the measurement of practically any surface area of the human body. Figure 1 shows some examples of results achieved by applying 3D surface scanning.

The fields of possible applications of 3D scanning technologies are also of various nature. Some examples of domains where the human body digitization is already successfully exploited are, as shown in Figure 2, animation, computer games, art and sculpture, ergonomics, medicine and forensic, cosmetics and dermatology, anthropology, biometry and security, fitness and sport, fashion and beauty, communications.

The systems and products for human body measurement are developed and produced in the three regions North America, Europe and Asia. The majority of white light projection based systems are developed in Europe: mainly in Germany and UK. Whereas, laser scanning systems are developed and produced in north America and Asia.

The next sections will give a short description and some examples of the different technologies.

The type of movement and the number of employed units can vary depending on the human body part to be measured. For example, the full body scanner of Vitronic1 (Figure 5 left) consists of three scanner units that move vertically synchronously along three pillars. A second example is the head scanner of Cyberware2 (Figure 5 center). In this case, a unique scanner unit moves in circle around the head of a person. As last example is shown the foot scanner of Vorum Research Corp.3: the scanner is composed of three units, which moves horizontally, two laterally and one from the bottom (Figure 5 right).

The high costs for production of hardware components for the laser scanning technology have to be considered as disadvantage. Additionally to the laser, the light sensor and the optical system, also precise electric motors have to be used for the displacement of the scanner units. Moreover, the complete scanning system has to be calibrated so that the geometrical disposition of all the elements can be determined exactly. A second disadvantage of this method is the time required for the digitization of large surfaces. There is no problem for the measurement of extremities as feet and hands, since these body parts can be kept immobile for some seconds. But, in the case of the measurements of head or full body, it is practical impossible to stay immobile for several seconds. Uncontrolled movements as breathing or muscle contraction can generate errors.

Different patterns are employed by the different manufactures. Figure 7 give some examples of possible variations of the classic binary code.

The major difference to laser scanning is that the acquisition happens in a very short time and that it results in the digitization of entire surface parts. Everything happens in short time period (mostly under one second), so that human bodies can be digitized without problems: the uncontrolled movements of the person are not a problem. However, the field of measurement of such scanning devices is limited, e.g. Capturor of InSpeck4 (Figure 6 center) can measure surfaces with maximal size of half part of the human body (e.g. upper torso). To measure large parts of the human body (e.g. entire head, full body) multiple scanning devices are required.This procedure has the disadvantage, that multiple units cannot be used simultaneously since they interfere with each other's light patterns projections. Practically, this means, that multiple equipments have to be used serially. This implies again an extension of the acquisition time.

The disposition and the number of employed sensors and projectors can vary depending on the human body part to be measured. For example, the face scanner of Breuckmann5 (Figure 8 left) consists of one projector and two cameras that acquires both sides of the face of a person. A second example is the face scanner of IVB Jena6 (Figure 8 center). In this case, a mirror systems is employed to project the light pattern from five directions by using a single projector; five cameras acquire the different scenes. As last example is shown the full body scanner of InSpeck4 (Figure 8 right): the scanner is composed of three pillars, each having two units, each composed of a camera and a projector.

The second example shows the possibility to generate extremely realistic face models by using only two images of the person (from the front and from the side). The 3D computer model is generated manually with the help of user-friendly software tools. In this case, a real measurement of the human face is not performed. However, the produced 3D computer models are extremely photorealistic and completely adequate for applications as, for example, animation and computer games. Figure 9 (right) shows the two used images and the resulted 3D face model. The big advantage of combining image processing and modeling techniques is the extremely lower price compared to real 3D measurement.

2.4 Other active sensors

In the recent years, new technologies based on active sensors have been applied also for the measurement of the surface of the human body.

A very interesting product resulted by applying cylindrical holographic imaging technology onto the human body, allowing to perform a whole body scan while the person remain fully clothed9. In this case the active sensor uses non-harmful, ultra-high frequency radio waves to obtain accurate body measurements. A millimeter-wave array/transceiver illuminates the human body with extremely low-powered millimeter waves.The radiation penetrates clothing and reflects off the body. The reflected signals are collected by the array/transceiver and analyzed by a image processing computer.

The company Intellifit Corporation translated this technology into a complete solution to extract 3D human body measurements for custom fit applications. Intellifit System (Fig. 10 left) is composed of the 3D scanner based on the millimeter-waves technology and the accompanying software.

The scanning process works in the following way: a person steps inside the Intellifit cabin without undressing, the �L� shaped millimeter-waves transceiver swings around and over the person to acquire the required data. The entire scanning process lasts about 10 seconds and the collected data consists of about 200'000 points on the surface of the human body. Out of the measurements, automatic algorithms determine about 200 characteristic body sizes of the human body with an accuracy of about 6mm.

A second technology based on other active sensors is also exploited for the measurement of the external surface of the human body. In this case, 3D cameras employ special CMOS sensors where each pixel measures the distance to the imaged surface part.

Different manufactures are present in the market. Figure 10 (right) shows the example of 3D camera of CSEM10. These cameras are based on the phase-measuring time-of-flight (TOF) principle. A light source (in this case, an array of emitting diodes) emits a near-infrared wave front that is intensity-modulated. The light is reflected by the scene and imaged by an optical lens onto the dedicated 3D-sensor. Depending on the distance of the target, the captured imaged is delayed in phase compared to the originally emitted light wave. Measuring the phase delay, the distances of the complete scene can be determined. The result of the acquisition is a depth map of the scene.

The core of such cameras is the CMOS sensor. In fact, the 3D measurement method based on TOF is integrated in the CMOS sensor. Each pixels of the sensor is constructed to measure the phase difference between the emitted light source and the captured returning light. The result are real-time 3D images of the recorded scene.

The actual CMOS technology limits the sensor size to about 25 KPixels. For this reason, to time, these sensors can be exploited only for few applications regarding the human body, as for example in security (surveillance) or automotive (recognition of pedestrians).

2.5 Digital tape measurements

As last technology available for the digital measurement of the human body, has to be mentioned a simple but effective method: the electronic tape measurement.

The method combines classical human body measurement and digital technology. The measurement process is completely similar to classical tape measurement, where lengths are measured by a tape at different keylocation of the human body (chest, waist, sleeve, etc.). The tape device records electronically the measured distances. Some devices, as for example the e-tape of E-Measurement Solutions11 showed in Figure 11, delivers the measured data to PC via wire-less. In this way, the tape measurement process results faster and simpler.

3. CONSIDERATIONS

3.1 Differences of systems and results

In the previous section were discussed the various technologies available for the 3D measurement of the human body. Different companies are employing these technologies for the development and production of systems for the digitization of the human body. These systems differentiate themselves strongly and for the normal user it could be a problem to determine which system best suits to his specific application.

We take as example the case of full body scanning systems. Twenty one companies, world wide, are producing and selling more than thirty different full body scanners. Figure 12 shows some results obtained by the 3D scanning process from different products. As can be seen, the results differ a lot: there are point clouds, surface models, textured models, unprocessed data, etc.. In fact, the used equipment is different, the employed processing is different and the targeted applications are also different. This variability results also in a very large price range of the products: full body scanning systems are available from 20'000 Euro up to 400'000 Euro.

With such large offer of different products with different results and with a very large price range, the process of selecting the adequate system plays a key role. To perform a correct analysis and selection, it is important to clearly list all the requirements and to consider as many criteria as possible. The following table give some examples of important information that has to be determined in advance, before selecting the scanning system. This regards, for example, the desired measurement part, the expected type of result, the limitations regarding processing and location.

3.2 Additional required software

For the completion of the overview on the actual state of the technology for the digitization of the human body, the required and helpful software has also to be described.

The raw data resulting by the scanning process can usually not be used in its original form. Mostly scanning systems are therefore provided with standard software for the visualization, for the treatment, for the exporting and eventually for the editing of the data. Figure 13, on the left, shows for example the result achieved by the full body scanner of Wicks and Wilson12 and at the center the result of a head scanning system of InSpeck4. It can be clearly noticed that raw data of the full body scanner has to be processed. In the case of the head scanner, the result shown has already been processed.

Data compression plays an important role by the digitization of the human body. In fact, 3D scanning processes generate very large amount of data, e.g. the head model of Figure 13 (center) corresponds to about 27 Mbytes of data. Therefore, for an efficient and unproblematic storage, treatment and visualization of the data, adequate compression processes are required. These can be defined specifically to the different parts of the human body by considering the typical topology of their surface. We take the human face as example: every human face is round shaped, has a nose, a mouth, two eyes, etc. This basic information is used to reach strong compression factors without loosing the important features of the human face. Figure 13 (right) shows an example of a 3D face model at two different compression factors: the details of the eyes, nose, and mouth are conserved, whereas the data resolution in areas with fewer details is reduced.

In the special case of full body scanners, the systems are usually accompanied by software solutions for the determination of body sizes. Figure 14 shows some examples of such solutions, some of them works completely automatically extracting body sizes useful for tailoring or anthropometric applications, others permit the measurement of specific areas of the human body. The solutions are tailored specifically to the type of data resulting from the scanning process and therefore it is recommended to use software solutions only with scanning systems from the same manufacturer.

Complete full body scanning solutions, coupling 3D scanners with software measurement solution, increased in the last couple of years the attractiveness of this technology for the fashion industry. As consequence, as it will be described in the next section, the number of applications in this specific domain increased.

4. APPLICATIONS FOR FASHION AND APPAREL INDUSTRY

4.1 Virtual-try-on

The so called virtual-try-on solutions have gained importance in the last few years in different areas of the fashion industry.

Virtual-try-on solutions simulate digitally the behavior of textiles onto the human body. In this way, they allow a virtual probe of cloth items onto digital human body models. 3D cloth simulation engines are employed to determine precisely how the cloth item will behave on the digital body model. Figure 15 shows an example of such solutions from Assyst-Bullmer13. The different parts of textile defining a piece of cloth are described as 2D patterns (as it is the case for usual CAD solutions employed in cloth manufacturing processes). For each part are specified all the required characteristics of textile, such as for example thickness or elasticity. The different parts are then placed in a 3D environment around a digital human body model and stitched together. The 3D cloth simulation engine will then determine the behavior of the so formed cloth item over the human body model.

Virtual-try-on solutions are becoming interesting to different areas of fashion industry. For example, fashion designers can employ such systems to obtain first visual results of their creations without the need of the production of real prototypes. Cloth buyer can see remotely new cloth items without the need to have the real pieces shipped from distant locations. Experts dealing with styling of persons can show their clients how they will look before they buy new dresses. Some web-shopping solutions are also exploiting this technology to present their cloth items in 3D on virtual mannequins.

Various virtual-try-on solutions are available on the market. Modern and sophisticated solutions, as for example from OptiTex14 (Figure 16), allow to import data from 3D scanning systems and simulate different poses of the human body model. Some of them allow additionally to import motion information from previously recorded data. In this case, the behavior of the textile is simulated dynamically.

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3d body scanning technology with application to the fashion and apparel industry

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3D Body Scanning Technology with application to the fashion and apparel industry

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Home / Knowledge / Article / Textile / 3D Body Scanning Technology with application to the fashion and apparel industry By: Dr. Nicola D'Apuzzo Homometrica Consulting Zurich, Switzerland www.homometrica.ch ABSTRACT This paper presents an overview of 3D body scanning technologies with applications to the fashion and apparel industry.

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Introduction of 3D body scanning

The benefits of 3D body scanning

The top 3D body scanning applications

The best 3D body scanners and body scanning booths

Creating custom 3D printed prosthetics with 3D body scanning

3D body scanning for 3D printed figurines and 3D selfies

3D body scanning for fitness

3D body scanning for fashion and the clothing industry

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What is 3D body scanning?

3D body scanning is the action of capturing in 3D the human body using a 3D body scanner.

3D body scanners can capture a human body, or only specific parts, to generate a very detailed 3D model within a few seconds. The result is a 3D model of the body or limb which was captured.

Depending on the desired application and on the 3D body scanner used, the 3D model can feature colors and textures to perfectly match the original person. It can also simply be a mesh, a sort of cloud of dots that form the body's shape.

3D body scanners are revolutionizing the way we capture, measure, and track evolutions of the human body, in various fields from medical to fitness or entertainment. Recent improvements in whole-body 3D scanning technologies are leading to a growing number of applications.

Initially developed for the clothing industry, 3D body scanners are greatly improving our ability to accurately measure and visualize a person's body size, shape, and skin-surface area. Recent advances in whole-body scanning unlock new potential, especially for healthcare applications.

What are the benefits of 3D body scanning?

3D body scanning is the perfect technology to capture in 3D a full human body or specific parts. When compared to traditional body imaging and measurement technologies, 3D body scanning offers many benefits.

Non-invasive

3D body scanning is an entirely non-invasive process. The 3D scanner never physically touches the subject.

In the case of handheld 3D scanners, the device is held at a certain distance by the operator, who moves around the subject.

In the case of a 3D scanning booth, the subject simply stands in the middle of the booth to be captured in 3D from all angles by a number of sensors, all without direct physical contact.

Fast

Scanning a person with a 3D scanning booth takes less than 10 seconds. When using a portable 3D scanner, the process can take several minutes and requires the subject to stand perfectly still.

Accurate

3D body scanners are high-precision tools and usually boast high resolution to produce highly detailed 3D models. They can detect things the human eye can't, making such 3D scanners very valuable in many circumstances.

The quality of the result depends of course on the type of body scanner being used. Some 3D scanning booths are capable of capturing several people at once with a stunning level of details, including colors and textures.

The top 3D body scanning applications

3D body scanning can have many applications. Among them, the most common are:

3D figurines

Also called 3D selfies or 3D portraits, 3D figurines are miniature statues of actual people. They are typically 3D printed from a 3D model obtained with a full-body 3D scanner, usually a 3D scanning booth. Full-color 3D printers are required to achieve such prints.

Fitness and body shape monitoring

3D body scanners are used in fitness to track the progress of a person through various body measurements, body shape metrics, posture analysis, and more.

Fashion and clothing

The Fashion industry is starting to use 3D body scanners to capture accurate body measurements in order to make custom and tailored apparel.

In retail, 3D body scanning unlocks new potential for in-store and online shopping with the emergence of virtual fitting rooms. Shoppers can use their own 3D avatar based on accurate body measurements to try on new clothes effortlessly.

Healthcare and medical

There are many applications of body scanning in medical fields, from monitoring a patient's body shape to identify potential issues, to capturing highly detailed 3D models of body parts such as a disabled limb to make custom prosthetics, for example.

3D body scanning can also help monitor how fast a burn is healing by capturing in 3D the damaged skin, identifying the burnt tissues, and measuring the area to track progress thanks to colors and textures 3D scanning.

Avatar creation

3D body scanning and 3D face scanning can be used in the entertainment industry to create realistic avatars, for use in video games, for example.

The best 3D body scanners and body scanning booths

Body scanning booths and full body 3D scanners

3D scanning booths are cabins rigged with 3D scanners or sensors. The person stands in the middle and holds still for a few seconds in order for the body scanner to capture images from all angles. The body scanner then generates a detailed 3D model of the person.

There are several types of 3D scanning booths:

Closed 3D scanning booth or closed body scanner: A circular cabin rigged with cameras or 3D scanners, allowing the subject in the center of the booth to be captured in 3D from a 360° angle.

Full-body 3D scanners: The subject stands on a rotating turntable facing a vertical 3D scanner. During the 3D body scanning process, the turntable rotates to allow the subject to be fully captured in 3D from all angles. The body scan is generated when the full, 360° rotation is complete.

The two main 3D scanning technologies used in body scanning are:

Photogrammetry: A fast 3D capture process consisting of taking many pictures of an object at once and from different angles, then processing them through an algorithm to "stitch" them together and generate a 3D model. Photogrammetry technology delivers high-quality, colored, and textured body scans.

Structured light: A series of linear light patterns are cast on an object. The 3D scanner then generates an accurate 3D model using triangulation. This 3D scanning technology is highly accurate but requires the subject to be very still.

The two technologies can also be used in combination.

Portable and handheld 3D scanners

Handheld 3D scanners offer more flexibility than 3D scanning booths, as they can be carried around the subject to perform a body scan.

The downside is that the person being 3D scanned must remain completely still during the entire capture process; otherwise, the 3D scan is unusable. For this reason, in 3D body scanning applications, portable 3D scanners are typically used to capture body parts or limbs and not to perform full 3D body scans.

Some manufacturers specifically target their handheld 3D scanners at body scanning applications, like Shining 3D's EinScan H.

3D body scanning for healthcare and medical applications

3D body scanners are getting increasingly used in the medical sector. Thanks to their non-invasive and fast way to capture the human body in 3D, whole-body 3D scanners are a perfect fit for applications in healthcare.

3D body scanners serve four major applications in the medical field.

Epidemiology

This is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in specified populations. 3D body scanners can be used to do anthropometric surveys. For example, a study on the evolution of obesity amongst children.

3D full-body scanners are perfectly adapted to 3D capture many individuals in a short amount of time, enabling for example to obtain a meaningful sample for a study.

Diagnosis

Three-dimensional body scanning can help doctors make a diagnosis. For this type of use case, 3D scanners are mainly used to treat skin-related problem s (burns, diseases, infections, wrinkles, ...) and detect deformities through the analysis of the patient's body captured in 3D.

Treatment

3D body scanners can be the difference between life and death for burn patients. To give the right amount of medicine to the patient, the amount of burnt skin needs to be perfectly calculated. Indeed, the drug quantity to deliver depends on the skin's surface area; if the drug quantity isn't perfectly dosed, the patient could suffer severe complications.

High-precision 3D body scanners or handheld 3D scanners can help accurately measure damaged skin surfaces.

Monitoring

Full-body 3D scanners can help monitor the changes in a patient's body (shape, composition, etc.), for example in the case of a diet or during pregnancy. Body scanners are a new tool to help doctors and practitioners better track the evolution of their patients' body metrics, thus allowing for more accurate diagnoses and recommendations.

Creating custom 3D printed prosthetics with 3D body scanning

Prosthetics are a great fit for 3D printing because they are mostly made of plastics and require to be customized to perfectly fit the patient. With 3D printing, it is now possible to make affordable prosthetics.

There are several open-source 3D models of prosthetics that have been developed by online communities such as The Open Hand Project. Voluntary designers and researchers join forces and collaborate, aiming to make prosthetics more affordable and better-fitted to the patients, especially kids whose prosthetics need to be upgraded regularly as they grow older and bigger.

3D models of such prosthetics can be downloaded for free and then modified to perfectly fit each patient, then 3D printed on a desktop 3D printer.

How can 3D scanning help create 3D printed prosthetics?

In order to make the 3D printed prosthetics perfectly fit the patient's lim b, the first step is to perform a 3D scan of the area where the prosthetic will be attached.

Using the resulting 3D model, the 3D design of the prosthetic is to be adjusted to accurately match the stump's shape, thus making the prosthesis more comfortable, durable, and performant.

In such cases, a portable 3D scanner is typically chosen over a body 3D scanner, as there is no need for a full-body 3D scan.

3D body scanning for 3D printed figurines and 3D selfies

3D figurines, also known as 3D selfies, 3D portraits, or "mini-me's" are 3D printed miniature figurines representing a person. Some call this 3D photography.

With the improvement of 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies, it is now possible to create such accurate 3D printed figurines, perfect as a gift or souvenir of an important life event, for instance.

Their are two steps involved in making a 3D portrait.

1. 3D body scanning the person

The person must first get 3D scanned, using a full-body scanner that can capture colors and textures. The best 3D scanners for 3D figurines are specifically designed 3D scanning booths.

The result is a highly detailed, colored, three-dimensional model of the person.

2. 3D printing the model

A few 3D printers are able to 3D print in color (they are called full-color 3D printers) but they are usually quite expensive and complex to operate.

That's why most 3D figurine businesses resort to 3D printing vendors specialized in full-color 3D printing. The 3D model is sent to the 3D printing service which will print it and ship it to the end customer.

3D selfies make great presents and are perfect souvenirs for special occasions (weddings, graduations, ...).

What is the best full-body 3D scanner for 3D printed figurines?

The process of making a 3D figurine starts with a 3D body scan. Such full-body 3D scans can be achieved either with a portable 3D scanner or with a 3D scanning booth.

In the case of 3D figurines, we strongly recommend the 3D scanning booth option, as the subject only has to hold the pose for a few seconds to get 3D scanned. Such booths are rigged with 3D scanners to capture the subject from all angles at once, with a very high resolution, colors, and textures.

With handheld 3D scanners, the human body 3D scanning process can take several minutes and the subject must remain completely still the entire time (a challenging feat for children or pets!). In both cases, the 3D model obtained is processed through a specific 3D software then sent for 3D printing.

3D body scanning for fitness

Body measurement and fitness tracking using a 3D body scanner

3D body scanners can capture and monitor data about the human body. Full-body scanners can indeed capture thousands of data points on a human body and provide personalized reports and tracking. Body scanners are becoming popular in gyms and fitness centers, or even at home where they can be used almost as a personal coach.

With razor-sharp accuracy and 3D imaging capacities, 3D body scanners can help fitness enthusiasts track their progression and achieve their goals (weight loss, muscle build, etc.). Three-dimensional body scanning can also provide information about posture, body composition (fat vs muscle percentage), and body shape.

A 3D body scanner for fitness. Source: Fit3D

The body scanner becomes a fitness tracker and collects data points on a regular basis to show the user's progression via 3D animated clips of the body shape, for example. It is important to note that such body scanners for fitness applications are usually not capable of capturing textures and colors, as they focus on body shape only.

The US company Fit3D developed the Proscanner, a 3D body scanner specifically designed for fitness tracking and comprehensive wellness assessment in gyms. They already are a fixture in gyms and fitness centers all over the world.

3D body scanning for fashion and the clothing industry

Creating virtual fitting rooms with 3D body scanning

A 3D body scan offers a precise 3D mapping and rendering of a person's body. It can be used to create virtual fitting rooms where shoppers can easily visualize how pieces of apparel would fit on them, without actually having to wear them.

Some apparel retailers already make the most of virtual fitting rooms using 3D body scanning technology. The concept is simple: users create a profile based on their full-body scan. They can then virtually try on items from their home or from the in-store 3D body scanning booth.

Virtual fitting rooms have a lot of potential in e-commerce since they can allow online shoppers to virtually try on clothes from the comfort of their home and make sure the size is right before purchasing, thus reducing the return rate.

Digital body measurement with 3D body scanners

3D body measurement can allow tailors and fashion brands to:

Save time in the traditionally manual body measurement process

Gather more accurate data on body measurements to create best-fitting shirts and suits.

By capturing in 3D all necessary data points for accurate body measurement in an instant, 3D body measurement systems or body scanning booth gives the opportunity to create custom-fit clothes more efficiently.

The company Acustom Apparel uses digital measuring 3D technology to gather every measurement and size from their customers and design custom-fitted attires. The company developed its own digital measuring technologies to gather around 2 million data points to create their customers' 3D models. Based on this data and the customer's personal preferences, an entirely tailored garment is created.

Create your own personalized avatar with 3D body scanning

3D body scanners can be used to create realistic avatars. In specific industries, such as retail or entertainment, avatars created with 3D scanning technology are meant to improve the customer experience.

For example, shoppers can use their own 3D avatar to virtually try on clothes instead of doing it physically.
Avatars are also heavily used in video games thanks to 3D face scanning, for example; in-game characters could look like the players themselves, for a more personalized and immersive gaming experience.

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3D body scanning and the best full body scanners guide

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3D body scanning is the action of capturing in 3D the human body using a 3D body scanner. 3D body scanners can capture a human body, or only specific parts, to generate a very detailed 3D model within a few seconds. The result is a 3D model of the body or limb which was captured.

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SizeUK was also the first survey to take advantage of 3D body scanning to automatically extract measurements

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This is the third in a series of articles where - inspired by a conversation with a leading 3D vendor - I commit to helping fashion businesses who are interested in 3D, of which there are more than ever right now, to better understand the potential benefits and plan their ways forward.

First I looked at the practicalities of material scanning; second I explained the importance of best-practices that can ensure that virtual materials look, feel, drape, perform, and share other tactile attributes with their real-world counterparts.

Next, I want to talk about fit. More specifically, I want to look back at the history of sizing surveys - how, why, and where they were deployed - and how their impacts are still being felt in pattern development, garment fitting, and product return rates today. I'm also going to make some suggestions on how we might re-examine the process of gathering sizing data, and the potential that new methods offer for providing brands and retailers with continuous, accurate sizing data from their target demographics. After all, consumer loyalty is now one of fashion's most valuable currencies, and better-fitting clothes translate into happier customers and more brand advocates.

Where did the idea of sizing surveys for fashion and retail come from? Not surprisingly, they have their roots in other disciplines where there was a similar need to understand the proportions of human bodies in a particular region and at a particular time. These anthropometric studies were a big part of evolutionary science - where researchers set out to understand physiological differences between modern humans and our ancestors - as well as in medicine, health, and fitness.

Sizing surveys with garment fitting in mind started by adopting the same principles as those academic surveys, but with much larger cohorts. The first national sizing survey took place here in the UK, around 70 years ago, with a view to producing a detailed data set of body measurements that retailers and home shopping businesses could use to test their block patterns against the real measurements of the general population.

Interestingly, since this survey came just a decade after the end of the Second World War, with rationing still a fresh memory for most people, the UK population came across as being leaner than it perhaps would have done at a time of more stable peace.

Beyond retailers, this data was also used indirectly by at-home dressmakers (an industry with a strong association to wartime) who, through the 1950s and 1960s, would base their creations on generic cut-out patterns and grades provided by mass suppliers like Simplicity and Vogue.

The military also provided the basis for a long-running series of sizing surveys carried out in the United States, including the well-known Army Anthropometric Survey (ANSUR) which assessed 240 points of measure across 75,000 enlisted men and women. Indeed, the US military ran more than 40 of these surveys between 1945 and 1988, culminating in the ANSUR.

There was then a gap of around half a century before the UK returned to nationwide surveying. A massive undertaking, the next national survey was conducted by SizeUK between 2001 and 2004.

I remember this time well, because I saw the results being used first-hand. Then, I was working with GUS (Great Universal Stores) and Burberry - both of whom were using the SizeUK data to help improve fit with the goal of lowing returns. This was an especially important metric in home shopping; at the time catalogue sales were accruing return rates of between 40% and 60%.

SizeUK measured 11,000 participants, which in today's standards is a relatively small sample size. 140 key landmark points (body measures) from each participant were recorded, which in total provided some 1.54 million data points. This was, according to the researchers involed, the minimum number of subjects required to give an accuracy of ±1cm with a 95% confidence level. For SizeUK the primary recruitment criteria were women and men, with seven age groups spanning a numbers of years such as, 16-25, with participants coming from across three geographical regions in the U.K. containing eight data collection locations.

Commercially speaking, SizeUK was a collaboration between the UK Government, 17 major UK retailers, leading academic institutes and technology companies - including those associated with 3D scanners, 2D CAD/CAM and PDM (Product Data Management) software.

Indeed, SizeUK was also the first survey to take advantage of 3D body scanning to automatically extract measurements, rather than relying on painstaking manual methods. The survey also included a qualitative element, with researchers trying to gauge participants' satisfaction with the clothing they usually bought. The results showed that over 60% of UK shoppers had difficulty finding clothes that fit, and they also revealed that the average female waist size had increased by 16.5 cm since the 1950's post-war era.

After SizeUK finished, around 2004, other European projects emerged, and the idea began to coalesce for a framework of sizing standards. This would help to enable the seamless integration of 3D scanners, 2D CAD and 3D virtual technologies into the fashion industry, bringing some degree of consistency and standardisation to international sizing, and opening the door to some of the virtual fitting and customisation technologies we see today.

So, as remarkable an effort as SizeUK and other large-scale surveys were, I believe the industry needs to ask itself whether their results are still relevant today. And, by extension, should we, as an industry, be thinking about undertaking new surveys on that sort of scale - and if we did, what new avenues would we have for collecting that kind of data?

IMage courtesy of sizestream

Since SizeUK began, in 2001, 3D body scanning has marched ahead in terms of accuracy. Today, scans are accurate up to a tolerance of 0.1mm (a 50% improvement since 2001) and can obtain anywhere up to 250 body measurements from a single person in less than 90 seconds. The output is a set of three-dimensional XYZ axis coordinates made up of between 600 and 800 different data points.

How does this all work? There are 3 main technologies that the 3D scanners on the market are utilising today:

Photogrammetry: The process of photogrammetry actually involves no scanning of the subject. An array of pictures are taken from multiple angles of the subject, they are then combined into a single 3D entity using a predefined algorithm. This is a quick method of 'scanning' which also captures colour and texture but lacks intricacy and resolution.

Structured light: In this method multiple bands of light are projected onto the subject. When they hit the subject they become distorted, much like running a length of string along an object, which will move based on the changes in the object's height. As the projector applies light to the subject, a camera records the distortion of the light in order to calculate the structure of the subject through triangulation.

Hybrid: A hybrid of these two technologies can be used if it is necessary providing colour to a blank structured light scan.

These approaches cover essentially all the bases for dedicated, physical body scanners. But the new wave of size scanning - pioneered by businesses like 3DLOOK and Sizestream - have other tools for collecting body data using either standalone hardware or consumers' smartphones, together with A.I. & M.L. algorithms. At the time of writing, though, there is still a lack of adoption from brands and retailers of either at-home or in-store. This is surprising because both methods offer a clear benefit - accurate insight into real sizing across a retailer's customer base - with a minimal or non-existent physical footprint.

This, in my opinion, is where the future of sizing surveys lies. Rather than national surveys of large population groups, they can be linked to retailers or a brands customers or even on an individual basis, with the resulting data being used to make instant fit recommendations for the customer who scans themselves - as well as continuously tweak the block patterns to improve overall fit across the retailer's entire range.

image courtesy of 3dlook

What's more, if we could seriously consider moving to new business models including Made-To-Order, informed by those individualised scans, then we would be able to leave the model of high waste and high returns in the past. It's not exactly tailoring - which remains its own hyper-specialised discipline - but these measures could become part of a very large mass-customisation dataset. This could enable retailers and brands to serve not only that individual but also people of very similar sizes and shapes, meaning that they could manufacture small runs based upon the mean average size. This would result in holding less redundant inventory, and it could help turn today's traditional business model from a supply-chain to a demand-chain.

There is little reason that the 3D models generated during the scanning process could not also be used for virtual-try-on and other augmented reality applications.

The technologies themselves, though, are not going to have much impact on consumer buying patterns. Unlike past size surveys, which were used by brands and retailers for purposes that the customer did not directly see, the new era of 3D scanning and body data will need to be actively promoted by brands and retailers, since it requires customer participation. So, a message to retailers and brands: if you really want to reduce your return rates then it's time to take action, there's no other way than a scientific approach!

Retailers should also consider incentives for customers who share their measurement data, ensuring that as well as improving fit for commercial reasons - reducing returns dramatically, and cutting down on waste - new technologies will also improve the reputation of the businesses that use them.

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Going 3D, Part 3: How Fashion Fits - The Interline

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This is the third in a series of articles where - inspired by a conversation with a leading 3D vendor - I commit to helping fashion businesses who are interested in 3D, of which there are more than ever right now, to better understand the potential benefits and plan their ways forward.

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3D scanning of exhibited historical clothing

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Structured-light 3D scanning of exhibited historical clothing-a first-ever methodical trial and its results - Heritage Science

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Abstract

Historical costumes are part of cultural heritage. Unlike architectural monuments, they are very fragile, which exacerbates the problems of their protection and popularisation. A big help in this can be the digitisation of their appearance, preferably using modern techniques of three-dimensional representation (3D). The article presents the results of the search for examples and methodologies of implementing 3D scanning of exhibited historical clothes as well as the attendant problems. From a review of scientific literature it turns out that so far practically no one in the world has made any methodical attempts at scanning historical clothes using structured-light 3D scanners (SLS) and developing an appropriate methodology. The vast majority of methods for creating 3D models of clothes used photogrammetry and 3D modelling software. Therefore, an innovative approach was proposed to the problem of creating 3D models of exhibited historical clothes through their digitalisation by means of a 3D scanner using structural light technology. A proposal for the methodology of this process and concrete examples of its implementation and results are presented. The problems related to the scanning of 3D historical clothes are also described, as well as a proposal how to solve them or minimise their impact. The implementation of the methodology is presented on the example of scanning elements of the Emir of Bukhara's costume (Uzbekistan) from the end of the nineteenth century, consisting of the gown, turban and shoes. Moreover, the way of using 3D models and information technologies to popularise cultural heritage in the space of digital resources is also discussed.

Introduction

Digitisation of cultural heritage objects is a method of preserving their appearance in binary form, which can be automatically processed using computer techniques. Like any digital product, binary information on cultural heritage objects can be easily and cheaply reproduced, stored, transmitted, processed and made available. By reproducing it cheaply and storing it in many places in the world, it is virtually indestructible as long as our civilisation continues to function. It is an important element in protecting cultural heritage. In addition, the abovementioned benefits of managing digital representation of cultural heritage objects make their dissemination easier and cheaper, and allow a wide use of modern information channels, like the Internet.

Documenting cultural heritage requires not only high precision, but also geometrically accurate mapping of the shape. This mapping is the basis for its cataloguing, reproduction, renewal, popularisation, and if necessary, and reconstruction.

In recent years, technological development in the area of information technology has led to the development of digitisation systems, on the one hand, and the possibility of a wide reception of digital information by practically the whole society, on the other. The technological development of digitisation systems provides ever newer and newer technical and software tools, increasing the possibilities of using them and lowering the costs of 3D digitisation and dissemination. In the era of universal access to the Internet and the fact that members of society have computers and mobile devices with great possibilities of processing and presenting data, a wide market has emerged for recipients of digital information about cultural heritage sites.

Registration of cultural heritage objects by technical means began with the invention of photographs. Previously, this was only possible through manual human activities-sketches, paintings or verbal descriptions. When photography was invented, which recorded images, it became possible to obtain data about cultural heritage objects in a more automated way. However, it was analogue technology. It reduced the costs of recording and reproducing information, but not enough (at the beginning of the XX century the number of albums published in print reached tens or at most hundreds). Meanwhile, thanks to it, many series of photographs capturing cultural heritage objects were created. An example of such a series is stored in the United States Library of Congress, a collection of S. M. Prokudin-Gorski's analogue colour photographs (sic!) from the early XX century [ 1]. This collection contains almost 2,000 colour photographs taken between 1903 and 1916 [ 2]. The photographs were taken across the vast territory of the Russian Empire in a unique technology of colour fixation [ 2]. Nearly 13% of the photographs from this collection concern the Central Asian part of the Russian Empire (currently these are independent countries, such as: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan). It is one of the first such numerous (over 250 photos) collections of colour photographs from Central Asia of over 100 years ago.

Prokudin-Gorski's photographs capture the appearance of architectural and cultural objects, which are now considered to be cultural heritage objects. They are currently being digitised as part of the International Research Project "The Legacy of S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky" [ 2], which greatly facilitates wide access to them. Preliminary analysis of the photos shows that about 70% of the photos from Central Asia present people and their appearance, i.e. above all their clothes. They show the (currently historical) costumes of people from different social strata: from the Emir and his officials, through merchants, workers, women to beggars (Fig. 1). Similar actions, but with the use of modern digital technologies, are presented in this article. Unfortunately, costumes from that era can now be found only in museums and private collections, and not on the streets of towns and villages.

Photos of people in historical costumes from Uzbekistan (cities of Bukhara and Samarkand) taken by S. M. Prokudin-Gorski [ 2]: a The Last Emir of Bukhara (Mohammed Alim Khan), b Prime Minister of Bukhara, c Bukhara bureaucrat

Historical costumes are a component of cultural heritage. They are collected, stored and made available in various types of museums. Due to the delicate materials from which they are made, they are particularly vulnerable to damage. Their digitisation will allow them to be preserved for posterity.

The digitisation of the exhibited cultural heritage objects began with the the era of digital photography and 2D scanning techniques. With technology advancement a third dimension has been introduced. A 3D technology has emerged, together with its implementation techniques.

Nowadays 3D scanning is a fairly widespread technique for acquiring 3D images of cultural heritage artifacts, especially in the areas of small historic objects [ 3, 4, 5], sculptures [ 6, 7, 8, 9] rooms [ 10, 11] or large buildings and entire architectural sites [ 12, 13, 14, 15].

The 3D scanning process of historical costumes, due to the materials from which they were made, their flaccidity and susceptibility to shape change with the movement of objects, is a much more difficult undertaking than the digitisation of typical museum artefacts from archaeological excavations, such as: destructs of ceramics or clay vessels, stone or bone figurines, elements of jewelry, leather products or metal artefacts-arrowheads or spears, axes, knives and various types of cutting weapons.

Initiatives like European Year of Cultural Heritage, Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022, United Nations Development Programme (Standard 4: Cultural Heritage), as well as other initiatives run by local governments, stress out the importance of sustaining the legacy of the cultural and natural heritage as well as protecting it against destruction by either human natural forces. These motivated museums to draft and implement procedures, and obtain funding needed to digitise their resources and present it in novel ways. Thanks to that, professional and amateur equipment for digitising and visualising resources in the 3D environment (such a way allows not only to preserve the geometry and dimensions of a digitised object, but even make it photorealistic) is constantly growing in number, being easier and, indirectly cheaper to obtain.

Cultural institutions and their associations create digital archives and make them available to a wide audience in the Internet [ 16, 17, 18]. Initiatives similar to Sketchfab [ 19, 20, 21] and Google Arts & Culture [ 22] emerge and are beeing developed, where 3D models are made available to the general public.

The aim of the article is to present:

Developed and effective methodology of acquiring 3D scans using manual 3D SLS of various historical elements of clothing in in situ conditions for their documentation and dissemination.

Ways of solving problems arising during 3D scanning with the use of SLS of individual elements of the costume in the conditions of a museum located in a different cultural area.

On the example of the costume of Emir Bukhara from Uzbekistan, stages of post-processing of acquired data, which lead to obtaining digital 3D models with different parameters.

Study background

Literature research was conducted in specialised scientific databases, open access databases as well as museum websites and various types of art galleries. Despite finding a dozen or so works (articles, reports on websites, books) on the preparation of digital 3D models of historical costumes and methods of presenting them, it can be concluded that the literature (and Internet) research gave a negative result-no scientific works were found that would pick up the topic of 3D SLS of historical clothes in a scientific manner, dealing with the whole complexity of such a process. There were no scientific papers that would present the procedures for 3D SLS in terms of digitisation of various elements of historical costumes and provide comprehensive information on the technical and organizational requirements for the implementation of these works and their parameters, including such as:

the number of contractors' team,

time required to perform a complete scan,

detailed data of 3D mesh models obtained after post-processing,

data of final models to be disseminated.

Currently, two main trends can be distinguished for creating digital 3D models of clothing:

the first is the manual creation of such models using specialised CAD (Computer Aided Design) programs,

the second is to use various 3D scanning technologies and generate 3D models based on the collected data (in the form of a series of photos or point clouds)

Manual creation models

During the literature research, it was possible to observe that works of numerous authors follow the first trend [ 23, 24, 25, 26, 27]. The authors used the following 3D modelling technologies/tools in the context of historical clothes: CAD software for clothes (like CLO 3D, Gerber AccuMark 3D, Optitex or Lectra Modaris) and general-purpose programming, also for engineering applications (like MeshLab, Blender 3D Creation Software, AutoDesk 3D or Rhinoceros 3D). Projects related to the construction of 3D models of historical clothes using 2D/3D modelling methods include: rider-skirt for riding in the so-called women's saddle [ 23], trousers [ 24], Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha's full-dress suite [ 25]. In these works, the procedures of activities were presented, distinguishing many detailed stages of drawing 2D models along with providing detailed parameters to obtain 3D models. For example, a model of a gown from Cicero's times, made with this method, placed on a 3D digital dummy, and an animation of the gown draping to make it look realistic are presented in article [ 26]. Study [ 27] describes many methods and CAD programs for modelling costumes that can be placed on digital bases (mannequins) created by 3D scanning. Sometimes researchers introduce a short remark that 3D scanning could be one of the methods of the digitisation of clothes.

3D scanning technologies and photogrammetry

The second trend is to carry out a 3D scanning process of a real object, and then to perform appropriate postprocessing of data. Only a few scientific works mention the use of 3D scanners at various stages of the construction of models of robe images. Unfortunately their full potential is not utilised. Literature analysis revealed that they are mostly used in a limited scope, in order to deal with single elements of digitisation instead of the process as a whole, i.e. a 3D scanner is used to obtain the model of a human posture only, clothes digitisation is done another way. This can be called a mixed method or a hybrid method. Examples of the use of such a method are: a woman's folk costume from the Gorenje region (Blender program was used) [ 28], 3D scanning of the female body in the context of applications in the clothing industry [ 29], generation of avatar elements (head and body) based on data from scanning 3D and measurements as well as 3D modeling of clothes on the basis of physical, spatial and external information [ 30], scanning of mannequin torsos to properly reproduce various figures of figures on which manually modeled outfits were placed [ 31], 3D simulation of historical costumes modeled manually on avatars [ 32].

The most frequently described and at the same time used technique of 3D digitisation of historical costumes are passive methods: photogrammetry and SfM (Structure from Motion), the fundamental (fundamental) theoretical basis of which can be found in [ 33]. An example of the application of the SfM technique is the creation of the 3D Jordanian Dress model on the basis of 280 photographs [ 34]. The photogrammetry and SfM methods use markers attached to the photographed surfaces, additional dimensioned objects (e.g. rulers) or manual measurements of distances between specific points [ 35]. Their digital deletion from the 3D model is very laborious. Additionally, sticking markers on historical costumes is rarely possible.

The photogrammetry and SfM method was used in work [ 36]. It shows the presented installation consisting of a digital 3D model of a dress displayed on a transparent screen and a real dress on the Fashion Curation 2013 display (Moving Textiles: Digital Encounters). However, article [ 36] does not contain any data on the parameters of the presented model. In turn, study [ 37] describes the 3D digitisation of the dress with the use of specialised Autodesk 123D Catch software developed for iPad and iPhone devices (photogrammetry). The digital 3D model was generated on cloud servers, and the surface and 3D model finishing processing was done in Adobe Photoshop (removing markers placed on the outfit before shooting) and 3ds Max, which was also used for rendering. The paper does not present the parameters of the digital 3D model transferred for presentation purposes to the Unity engine. Website [ 38] presents examples of 3D models of historical costumes from the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries made by using photogrammetry, but there is no information on the details of the methodology used and the results obtained (model quality, size, etc.). 3D scans are often the source of clothes texture only [ 28]; sometimes a 3D scanner is used to document the profile, shape and position of textiles in a bundle before conservation [ 39].

In the available Internet sources (but not scientific ones) several unusual solutions can be found for 3D scanning of historical costumes. Blog [ 40] describes the use of the specialised medical scanner Vectra WB360 (used to detect skin cancer) to 3D scan the gown of the Australian opera diva Dame Joan Sutherland stored at the Arts Centre Melbourne and transfer its digital model to the VR world. However, there are no details of the generated digital model and data processing methods among the information contained therein. Work [ 36] presents a digital model of a dress created by scanning by computed tomography (CT) to show the inner layers of a dress invisible to the eye (Fashion Curation'13 display). Hu et al. [ 41] presented an interesting solution, although on the example of contemporary casual clothes, as they used Kinect Fusion to scan a person wearing the clothes and then only model the extracted garments. Tota et al. reported using a Konica Minolta Vivid 910 3D laser scanner to obtain a model of a Luma Waistcoat, although they provided a scanner model and print screens of the coat model only [ 42]. One work reported the model being a result of 3D laser scanning [ 43], but further details were missing, even the scanner model. Some authors just mention that they have a model being the result of scanning, but it is unsure whether the authors mean photogrammetry as 3D scanning. On the website [ 44] you can find a report on the use of a 3D laser scanner (FARO scanner head mounted on the manipulator's arm) to scan the mummy of a Peruvian woman from 1700 years ago, whose digital image was used to recreate her face. However, the presented physical generated 3D models of a bust of a woman wearing a dress, jewelery and a metal headgear was, however, only an archaeological staging [ 44].

3D SLS of museum artifacts are presented on Russian websites [ 45, 46], however they do not contain digitization of historical costumes. They concern the collection of porcelain human figurines in folk costumes (Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory in Saint Petersburg). The costumes of these figures are not made of fabrics but painted on the surface of the figures. Colorful costumes were painted by hand on the copies of the figures made by 3D printing. On the website [ 47] you can see scenes from Chinese history, for which both 3D SLS (EinScan-Pro scanner by SHINING 3D) and 3D printing were used. After appropriate processing, 3D models of scanned people in costumes (presumably copies) were printed out as monochrome objects and painted by hand. There is no information in the text about the quality of the digital 3D model of the scanned costumes and the 3D scanning procedure used. On the blog [ 48] you can find reports of attempts to 3D scan various museum artifacts, including historical costumes, using SLS scanners (Artec Space Spider and Artec Eva). Apart from the information on the average scanning time of a single object of about 15 min and information on what objects could not be scanned (e.g. the umbrella was scanned on one side only, because after turning over, the position of the fabric folds changed, which is a typical problem when scanning fabrics), there are no procedural indications about the digitisation of objects and their further processing. In this case, it was not possible to properly design and apply a methodical approach to 3D scanning that would take into account such a threat. From the content of the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences blog [ 49] you can learn that the SLS 3D scanner (Artec Eva) was used to create a digital 3D model of samurai armor, which was enriched with an interactive touch interface through the use of specialised software. However, no methodological information was provided that would allow others to carry out similar activities, as well as the data of the generated digital model. The work [ 50] describes tools for 3D scanning and programs for the preparation of digital 3D models that are used in museology, but no rules of conduct or procedures for 3D scanning of museum artifacts, especially historical costumes, are presented.

Conclusion of the literature review

In conclusion, a review of the available scientific literature and Internet sources can be concluded that very few works are devoted to 3D scanning of historical clothes using 3D scanners, especially those based on structural light technology. Works that were identified during the query show that the whole potential of 3D scanners is not used. No scientific approach to this topic exists either; what is more, authors do not deal with the whole complexity and methodology of scanning very diverse clothes of different shapes and materials. Results are usually not presented and analysed properly. All of this makes a lot of room for work. This is due to the fact that various reports of 3D scanning of historical costumes or theatrical costumes of high historical significance, which can be found in scientific and online resources, are not research-based and do not contain detailed information about the scanning process and the results obtained. There are definitely no available procedures describing the individual stages of activities necessary to perform 3D SLS of historical costumes in working conditions in situ, which would become mini guides allowing museum employees to independently digitise historical costumes in the future.

Research question

It seems that so far no one has used, in a methodical way, 3D scanning techniques using structured-light technology methods to obtain data on the appearance of historical clothes. Meanwhile, in the course of literature research, a number of potential problems in 3D scanning of historical clothes in in situ conditions were identified, such as: providing logistical support by museum employees, the way of displaying items of clothing during digitisation (including ensuring their stability and accessibility to the surface), limited access time to clothes, sensitivity of objects to damage, difficulties in acquiring data with too high gloss and transparent decorative elements made of precious and gilded stones. In order to fill the identified gap, it seems reasonable to pose the following research question:

Is it possible to efficiently acquire in situ 3D digital data of historical clothing using 3D structured-light scanners for their documentation and dissemination?

The term "efficiently" is used to mean that such activities can be effectively carried out in situ with limited technical resources, limited human resources and limited access time to the facilities.

The authors undertook to develop a methodology of 3D SLS of historical clothes and processing the results using modern devices and software. The methodology was tested on the example of a scan of the nineteenth century costume of the Emir of Bukhara (Uzbekistan).

Methods and materials

Determinants of 3D SLS of historical costumes

In the Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) traditional costumes from Uzbekistan are presented in a classic way, i.e. in showcases placed against the walls (Fig. 2a) or in the centre of the exhibition hall (Fig. 2 b). Unfortunately, glass is a significant obstacle in 3D scanning using structured light.

SLS through a glass surface is in principle possible, but the presence of a barrier in the form of a display case significantly hinders the correct positioning of the scanner in relation to the scanned object, which makes it difficult or impossible to properly scan all its surfaces. In addition, the panes have defects, scratches and dirt, which also negatively affects the scanning process. The location of the display cases against the wall usually makes it impossible to reach the back of the exhibits. Display cases located in the centre of the room have elements connecting glass panes and/or corners, which also constitutes a significant obstacle in scanning. Therefore, the exhibits must be removed from the showcases. This is a specific organisational problem.

Proposed methodology of 3D scanning of historical costumes

Figure 3 presents a diagram of the developed methodology of 3D SLS of historical clothes and processing the results using modern devices and software.

Methodology of 3D SLS of historical costumes

The methodology consists of 5 stages (Fig. 3).

Stage 1 (Planning) of the methodology is carried out before the actual scanning session. It can be implemented on site as well as through remote arrangements. During it, the following sub-stage tasks are performed:

At stage 1.1, the sites proposed by the cultural heritage (CH) institution for scanning are analysed. In the case of remote arrangements, photos of objects are transferred. Scanning technicians analyse objects in terms of the required scanning techniques, in particular: the way the object is arranged during scanning, the required lighting, additional positioning surfaces. The potential for obtaining the desired scan is also assessed.

At stage 1.2, objects that will be scanned are selected. The objects indicated in step 1.1 can be rejected by both the scanning technicians (due to the inability to obtain the desired scan quality) and the CH institution's refusal to use 3D SLS techniques due to the potential harm to the exhibit by activities consistent with the methodology (Fig. 3). For example, the fabric of a garment is too delicate to be removed from the display case and placed in the required position.

At stage 1.3, the details of scanning selected objects are agreed. Depending on the requirements, the availability of the necessary props (dummy, lighting, desktop, etc.) is determined.

Stage 2 (Scanning) of the methodology covers the proper implementation of the scanning process. The objects in the order agreed with the CH facility are made available and the procedure of their scanning is carried out, which includes cyclically performed task sub-stages:

At stage 2.1, the scanning station is prepared for a given object (lighting setting, dummy, possible suspension, etc.). The object is placed in the position.

Stage 2.2 covers the actual procedure of the scanning process. Individual partial scans are performed. Scanning must be performed ensuring that the orientation of the fabric of the scanned object remains unchanged until the entire procedure is completed.

Stage 2.3 includes collecting information about the scanned object (textual and visual - photographic data). They are necessary both for the correct identification of the obtained scans, as well as in processing data from the scan, as an aid in positioning and determining the correct colour of the obtained model.

Stage 3 (On site preliminary verification of scans) is carried out for each object at the place and time of scanning in order to make sure that the 3D SLS process is running correctly. This avoids the need to re-prepare the object for the scanning process in the event of any irregularities in the acquired data. It includes the following sub-steps:

Stage 3.1 includes pre-processing of sub-scans by the technician. It includes assessing the quality of individual scans and matching parts to each other. The completeness of the acquired point cloud is also analysed.

Stage 3.2 includes the decision to accept the obtained effect. If you obtain a scan of insufficient quality or completeness, you may decide to repeat some or all of the scanning process. In special cases, it may be decided not to scan a given object. Representatives of CH institutions may participate in this process.

Stage 4 (Postprocessing) is performed after the scanning session is completed. It does not require the involvement of CH institutions. At this stage, the pre-merged data from stage 2 is fully processed in order to obtain the base model and its archiving. During it, the following sub-stage tasks are performed:

Stage 4.1 consists in the processing of scans (cleaning, micro-matching of clouds, etc.) and generation of the model with the highest available parameters (the so-called Base Model). At this stage, apart from the scans themselves, metadata (photos etc.) obtained at stage 2.3 are used. They are especially helpful when matching a large number of partial scans of surfaces with a similar fabric pattern.

Stage 4.2 includes archiving both processed scans (to enable further analysis) and the Base Model, saved in universal formats that can be processed with various software.

Stage 5 (Dissemination) includes disseminating the obtained model in the forms required for a given application (e.g. presentation on websites). It can be implemented many times, depending on the needs, using the Base Model. Stage 5 consists of the following sub-stage tasks:

In step 5.1, the Base Model is converted to Dissemination Models in accordance with the specified requirements (format, model complexity, size, texture type, location, lighting etc.).

Stage 5.2 includes the publication of the Dissemination Models in the appropriate media. The publication is also accompanied by supplementing the information about the presented object on the basis of metadata obtained at stage 2.3.

The developed methodology of 3D SLS of historical clothes and processing of the results was tested in the field at the Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (Samarkand, Uzbekistan) during the scanning of the Emir of Bukhara's costume.

The Emir of Bukhara's outfit

The Emirate of Bukhara existed as an Uzbek state from 1785 to 1920. In the years 1873-1917 it was under the protectorate of the Russian Empire. It was located in central Asia in the lands of present-day Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. It was liquidated by the Soviet Red Army in September 1920. The last Emir of Bukhara, Said Mir Mohammed Alim Khan (Fig. 1) emigrated to Afghanistan [ 51, 52], where he died.

The Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (Samarkand) stores elements of the Emir of Bukhara's costume (at least that is what museum staff and guides call it), such as (Fig. 4):

Dressing gown, gold-embroidered, Bukhara, 1895.

Salla (turban), a man's head bandage from fabric, Bukhara, end of the XIX century.

Mahsi and kaushi (high and low shoes), Bukhara, end of the XIX century.

Objects selected for 3D scanning: a dressing gown, b turban (salla), and c shoes (mahsi and kaushi)

These elements were selected for scanning and verification of the procedure from Fig. 3. The choice was not accidental. These objects vary in size and materials: from thick dressing gown fabric, richly embroidered with gold thread, to thin turban fabric. This made it possible to check the proposed methodology of 3D SLS historical costumes on artefacts that differ significantly in surface textures and materials.

Scanning elements of the Emir of Bukhara's costume in situ

The scanning was carried out by a team of three IT specialists (IT team), the authors of this article. It covered the first three stages of the developed methodology (Fig. 3).

While obtaining and processing the data, the following equipment and software were used:

*hand-held structured-light technology scanners (Artec Eva - 50-100 microns accuracy, saving textures),

*digital camera (Nikon D7200),

*laptop (i7 Processor, 32GB RAM, GTX 980 8MB graphics card),

*rotary scanning table with reference surface,

*software on site (Artec Studio 12 Professional),

*post-processing software (Blender v2.8, MeshLab v2020.04).

The visit to the museum was previously agreed by the persons who acted as intermediaries, but the IT team and the museum staff could not agree on any details of the operation due to the lack of a direct meeting. All actions were taken on the basis of the experience of the IT team, and the museum staff improvised solving emerging problems in real time.

Some activities were carried out in parallel by both teams (museologists and the IT Team), including the initial verification of the quality of the obtained scans (stage 3 of the methodology in Fig. 3).

Removing the outfit from the sealed display case turned out to be quite a difficult undertaking due to the fact that the design of the display case did not provide for free access to the objects placed there (Fig. 5). When removing the ball from the stand, it was dissolved. Thanks to the cooperation of both teams and the willingness to make 3D scans of all the elements of the outfit (Fig. 6), the emerging problems could be overcome there and then. For example, the human head dummy unavailable in the museum was replaced by one of the museum employees (Fig. 6 b).

3D SLS of the elements of the Emir's costume: a dressing gown, b turban-salla, c kaushi-low shoe and d mahsi-high shoe

The scanning time was minimised due to the fact that the exhibition room was closed to normal visitors at the time of scanning. It is not a comfortable situation for the museum authorities in view of the large number of visitors in organised tours with a strongly limited time window and the programme of visiting the museum during its normal opening hours. One of the requirements of the museum board to minimise the time of data acquisition was to make the exhibition available for scanning. The total stay in the museum from entering it until leaving took only 1.5 h (Table 1).

The activities related to the object preparation, scanning and photographic documentation process are listed in Table 1. Other activities performed at the same time by the IT team, which were parallel to the digitalisation process, were omitted, such as: (i) discussing with a team of museologists how to display subsequent items for digitisation, (ii) collecting information about scanned items (the need to search for specialised vocabulary and translate them (Polish/English/Russian/Uzbek), (iii) backup files from scanning and checking their quality on a current basis on a second computer set. Some of these activities were performed when the team from the museum was preparing subsequent objects for scanning (Tables 1, 4a, 6 a).

Note that the scanning time is not linearly related to the size of the scans obtained. This is due to the different shapes of the scanned items. The dressing gown contains large, relatively flat surfaces, which facilitates and speeds up the scanning process. The rest of the garment is smaller in size and has a lot of edges. Passing during the scanning over the edge with a significant difference in the angle of the joined surfaces requires increased attention to avoid loss of scanner positioning in relation to the scanned object. Consequently, it extends the scanning time of such an area. In the case of objects with a very small area (Kaushi), it was necessary to support the scanning process with an appropriate reference surface (Fig. 7 c), ensuring that the scanner was positioned.

Clouds of obtained dressing gown points before merging

Postprocessing

The obtained 3D scans of individual elements of the outfit were post-processed in order to obtain the required models-stages 4 and 5 of the methodology developed (Fig. 3). This process consisted of stages that slightly differed depending on the model being processed. This was due to different techniques of obtaining scans for individual objects. Generally, there are three steps of post-processing.

At the first step, individual partial scans were analysed and purified from undesirable fragments. The specificity of scanning with the use of a handheld scanner means that there is a risk of distortions when positioning the moving scanner, which causes the formation of "delamination" of the scanned surfaces. The occurrence of such a case had to be caught and the dissection corrected. Correct scans could then be fitted by comparing the surface of point clouds. The final effect of the first stage was clean and distortion-free partial scans, matched to each other-a comprehensive point cloud. Point clouds of individual elements of the outfit were saved in the native Artec Studio software format.

At the second step, the overall model point cloud was converted to the mesh base model. The generation of the mesh model was carried out by Artec Studio software dedicated to the scanner. The interference of a IT specialist consisted, among others, in on the decision on the method of possible filling of the discontinuities in the surface of the obtained model. In the next step, the colour information about the surface of the object recorded in partial scans was transferred to the base model of the scanned object with the simultaneous unification of the brightness levels. IT specialist corrected the parameters of the target colours to ensure faithfulness to the original colours, using reference photos of objects. The base model was saved in the universal.obj format, while the texture in the lossless.png format.

The third step involved the preparation of various versions of the object model intended for dissemination, the so-called Dissemination Models. It was necessary to simplify the Base Model mesh to ensure the model's availability to a wide audience by minimising download time and hardware requirements. The conversion of the Base Model into various versions of Dissemination Models was carried out with the use of Meshlab and Blender software. Depending on the needs, a reduction was carried out by up to 85%, i.e. up to 15% of the number of triangles in the Base Model. The.obj model format was retained due to its universal nature. The texture covering the model was also optimised by possible resolution reduction and saving in a lossy.jpg format.

Results

Obtained materials about the Emir's robes

As a result of the scanning, 30 point clouds (Table 2) with a total volume of over 6 GB were obtained. The total number of points in the clouds (Table 2) was over 146 million. Detailed parameters of the acquired images of elements of the Emir's costume are presented in Table 2.

The obtained materials are in the form of point clouds distant from each other by approx. 0.25 mm, which reflect the geometry of the objects and information about the colour of their surface (Fig. 7). Figure 8 shows a fragment displaying the distribution of points on the material surface. It can be seen that the sampling density is uniform. Consequently, any protrusions resulting from the patterns sewn will be visualised with the same accuracy.

The obtained point cloud of the dressing gown fragment

Base models-results of postprocessing for data archiving

In the course of processing point clouds, mesh base models of individual elements of the outfit were obtained. The mesh density was selected to obtain the greatest possible accuracy of mapping the surface of costumes determined on the basis of point clouds. Table 3 shows the sizes of the obtained meshes (the number of triangles) and the sizes of the resulting files saved in the universal.obj format (MB).

The dressing gown object was characterised by a large surface, devoid of hard-to-reach fragments. Therefore, the obtained model has the lowest gaps coefficient (gaps) in the continuity of the 3D model surface-percentage of external surface defects (Table 3). Figure 9 shows the Base Model of the dressing gown (with a fragment of the mannequin left as a reference to the shape of the character wearing the garment).

The obtained base model of the turban object is characterised by the highest percentage of shortages. It results from the necessity to adjust the scanning method to the shape instability of the object. The adhesion of the turban belt to the human model torso made it impossible to obtain its inner surface. Figure 10 shows the view of the Base Model of the turban (along with the model's head mapping left as a reference for the correct headgear positioning).

In the case of the low shoes, scanning was carried out using a rotary table with a reference surface. A significant level of shortages in the case of the high shoes (Table 3) results from the inability to scan the surface under the flaps-the unrolling of the flaps was not allowed by the employees of the CH institution. The visible surface of the objects was mapped with a precision equivalent to the previous objects (Fig. 11).

Base Models of footwear a high shoe, b low shoe and c a fragment of the model with the mesh of triangles visible

Dissemination models-the results of processing for dissemination

The basic method of disseminating the obtained models, agreed with the CH facility, was to present them in the Internet. It was necessary to take into account the requirements of matching models to the needs and capabilities of potential recipients, not necessarily having high-performance computers capable of smoothly displaying 3D objects with complexity at the level of the Base Models. It was equally important to limit the size of model files due to the need to transfer them via the Internet. In order to develop Disseminations Models, the meshes of the Base Models were optimised to ensure a satisfactory visual quality while meeting the above-mentioned requirements. Table 4 summarises the obtained model file sizes using 2 levels of mesh detail reduction (i.e. reducing the number of triangles making up the Dissemination Models in relation to the Base Models)-70% and 85%.

Although the obtained Dissemination Models lost the surface details defining the shape of the embroidery on the garment, the visual effect was kept at a good level thanks to the texture. However, in the case of the presentation of models using dynamic shadow techniques, only the shadows resulting from the arrangement of the folds of the garment will be reproduced without shadows on the edges of embroidery. Figure 12 presents a summary of the dressing gown model in three versions of the density of the triangle mesh.

Dressing gown: a Base Model, b Dissemination Model-70% reduction, c Dissemination Model-85% reduction

Dissemination Models are available in a 3D view on the website of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems Programming and Computer 3D Technology (Lab3D), Department of Computer Science, Lublin University of Technology [ 51]. In addition, the simplified 3D model of the dressing gown was also used to build the virtual exhibition presented in [ 53].

An alternative method of disseminating the results of the work was to prepare the combination of high-resolution images of the obtained Base Models into an Integrated Model. The generated images of the Integrated Model, including lighting and shadows, were superimposed on the scenery corresponding to the historically presented clothing and simplified to the Dissemination Model format (Fig. 13).

The generated images of the Integrated Model are available in 3D view on the Lab 3D website [ 54].

Discussion

In the course of scanning the historical clothes displayed at the Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (Samarkand), a number of problems emerged (both foreseen and unexpected) that could be solved to a greater or lesser degree. They are listed in Tables 5, 6, 7 and 8 together with alternative solutions.

The analysis of the problems and their resolution during the scanning of historical clothes at the Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (Samarkand), as well as of alternative activities, shows the complexity and variety of problems arising during its course.

Summary

The methodology developed and implemented in the present case study at the Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve (Samarkand, Uzbekistan), primarily due to its results of use, allows to answer the research question:

Is it possible to efficiently acquire in situ 3D digital data of historical clothing using 3D structured-light scanners for their documentation and dissemination?

The answer to the research question posed above is: YES, it is possible to effectively acquire scans of historical clothes using 3D SLS for their documentation and dissemination.

The authors' experience gathered during the experimental work carried out at the Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve entitles them to formulate the following conclusions:

Collecting available information on good practices in the process of 3D digitisation of museum artefacts, arranging them and adapting them to the requirements of in situ digitalisation of historical costumes has resulted in the development of a comprehensive methodology of 3D SLS of historical costumes in the form of a diagram. The developed methodology is addressed not only to researchers dealing with the methods of digitising objects of tangible cultural heritage, but also to museum professionals who in the future should take on the task of 3D digitisation of museum artefacts.

The prepared methodology clearly separates the organisational and preparatory tasks performed by the museum employees from the activities of a specialised team to conduct 3D scanning and preparation of supplementary photographic documentation. Thanks to this, both teams can work autonomously and fully professionally, which enables parallel work and economical time management. The works carried out at the museum show that the optimal number of IT team members is 3 people. The size of the support team may vary depending on the task being performed.

Digitisation with a 3D SLS (in our case the Artec Eva model was used) is a relatively simple and fast process that can be performed in situ, without the need to create special working conditions for the IT team. The scanning process by a team of three of six elements of the outfit: dressing gown, turban ( salla), two low shoes ( kaushi) and two high shoes ( mahsi), taking into account all the preparatory and finishing activities, took less than 1.5 h.

3D digitisation in the structured-light technology is a safe process for the scanned objects due to the fact that the technology used does not require any tags to be attached to vintage costumes, and the scanning process is low-energy and does not heat up the scanned objects. In addition, 3D SLS does not require interfering with the structure of digitised objects by sticking macros, which on the one hand can be dangerous for the surface of fabrics, and on the other hand, significantly increases the workload of preparing an outfit for digitisation and extends the post-processing time to make the final digital 3D model due to the necessity to do so.

The applied 3D digitisation technology enables acquisition of evenly illuminated colour maps, thus simplifying the process of photorealistic materials creation for the purpose of physically based rendering. The creation of photographic documentation performed during the scanning process is primarily supplementary. The photos make it easier to assemble the acquired multiple point clouds into one 3D model, especially when the person submitting the model did not participate in the scanning process.

Due to the high accuracy of the scanned objects, amounting up to 0.05 mm, the created 3D mesh Base Models are very large (from 20 MB for the Kaushi to 150 MB for the dressing gown). Such large graphic objects are perfect for archival purposes because they contain a lot of information about the surface area of scanned artefacts. The acquired models can be used to retrieve precise dimensions from the object at any time.

The redundancy of the Base Models, understood as the available number of triangles reflecting the geometry of the surface, allows for their processing in order to obtain models suitable for presentation on websites and mobile devices. The activities carried out on these models show that their reduction by 70% or even 85% ensures both the sufficient quality of the 3D model and a reduction in their size sufficient for successful presentation on various platforms. The models have the respective sizes from about 4 MB for the Kaushi to 30 MB for the dressing gown.

Further work in the area of 3D scans using 3D scanners, specifically ones based on structural light, of historical clothes for the purpose of their documentation and dissemination will be carried out using the present methodology. It should confirm the correctness of the current approach and give directions for its modification.

Availability of data and materials

Processed point clouds of objects scanned into 3D artefacts are available on the website https://cs.pollub.pl/lab-3d/?lang=en. Data sets from 3D scanning are stored on the servers of the Laboratory of Inteligent Systems Programming and Computer 3D technology-'Lab 3D', and are not publicly available due to their size and data protection on the servers, but are available from Jerzy Montusiewicz upon a justified request.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the authorities of the Lublin University of Technology in the person of His Magnificence Rector Prof. Piotr Kacejko, Prof. Danuta Stryczewska-Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Prof. Dariusz Czerwiński-Head of the Department of Computer Science for co-financing scientific expeditions to Central Asia in the years 2017-2019. Moreover, we thank Mr. Rahim Kayumov-Director of the Scientific-Experimental Museum-Laboratory of the Samarkand State University in Samarkand for assistance in our research in Uzbekistan, and Mr. Samariddin Mustafokulov-Director of the Samarkand State Integrated Historical-Architectural and Art Museum-Reserve for making it possible for us to 3D scan museum resources, as well as the Staff of the museum for their help during the digitisation of the outfit of the Emir of Bukhara and consent to share their images.

Funding

The work was co-financed by the Department of Computer Science of the Lublin University of Technology and supported by the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange under Grant No. PPI/APM/2019/1/00004 titled "3D DIGITAL SILK ROAD".

Author information

Affiliations

Department of Computer Science, Lublin University of Technology, Lublin, Poland

Jerzy Montusiewicz, Marek Miłosz, Jacek Kęsik & Kamil Żyła

Contributions

Jerzy Montusiewicz conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analysed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final draft. Marek Milosz conceived and designed the experiments, performed the experiments, analysed the data, authored or reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final draft. Jacek Kęsik performed the experiments, processed the scanned data, prepared figures and/or tables and approved the final design. Kamil Żyła processed the scanned data, prepared figures and/or tables, and approved the final draft.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jerzy Montusiewicz.

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Competing interests

The authors declare there are no competing interests.

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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Structured-light 3D scanning of exhibited historical clothing-a first-ever methodical trial and its results - Heritage Science

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Historical costumes are part of cultural heritage. Unlike architectural monuments, they are very fragile, which exacerbates the problems of their protection and popularisation. A big help in this can be the digitisation of their appearance, preferably using modern techniques of three-dimensional representation (3D).

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The key outcomes of the development of 3D body scanning over the last 10years.

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The key outcomes of the development of 3D body scanning over the last 10years.

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Body-Scanning From A Mobile Phone To Create Photorealistic Avatars And Digital Garments

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Body-Scanning From A Mobile Phone To Create Photorealistic Avatars And Digital Garments

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Body-Scanning From A Mobile Phone To Create Photorealistic Avatars And Digital Garments

The Fashion Innovation Agency collaborated with augmented reality engine creators Reactive Reality and fashion designer Charli Cohen to demonstrate how 3D scans from a mobile device can enable users to create photo-realistic avatars of themselves and capture high definition digital scans of garments for virtual try-on. This project aimed to solve one of the biggest hurdles in e-commerce: to create a truly personalised digital shopping experience by interacting with a retailer's products virtually and immersively.

A 3D avatar of a lady wearing fashionable clothes.

Participants were scanned by filming a short video clip (around 40 seconds) using the phone's camera, to capture full body data.

The AR engine uses the captured video to create a very accurate and realistic digital avatar of the participant. Through image-based modelling and artificial intelligence, Reactive Reality's Pictofit 3D app enables users to virtually try on fashion products before they buy them online. The accuracy of the measurements ensure that garments fit the avatar as they would in real life.

Up to now, the promise of augmented reality has been held back by a lack of content. We recognised this early on. Big tech companies are focused on building AR hardware and libraries, but almost no one is addressing the content side. It's like building a cinema without having any movies to show. Our breakthrough at Reactive Reality was that we built a 3D pipeline that creates photorealistic 3D models of products, users, backgrounds from simple smartphone photos on a large scale. This technology will change how we shop online, see ourselves in new outfits, try different sizes and interact with our favourite brands on our smartphones.

We rely on being able to engage our customer almost exclusively through digital, so finding innovative ways to do that is extremely important. We have long seen AR as a really exciting way to create an immersive experience for our customers, but it has lacked much practicality beyond a fun novelty. This technology from Reactive Reality however is incredibly practical and helps to emulate an important aspect of the physical in-store experience for digital, in a truly immersive and interactive way.

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Smartphone Body-Scanning & Digitising Collections | Fashion Innovation Agency

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The Fashion Innovation Agency collaborated with augmented reality engine creators Reactive Reality and fashion designer Charli Cohen to demonstrate how 3D scans from a mobile device can enable users to create photo-realistic avatars of themselves and capture high definition digital scans of garments for virtual try-on.

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"3D photogrammetry is the process of reproducing a physical item in order to make an accurate 3D model. It can be used to capture everything from people and historical artefacts to aircraft, buildings and even larger structures."

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Discover how arrays of Canon EOS cameras are being used to create lifelike 3D models for video games, movies, manufacturing and art.

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What is photogrammetry

What types of 3D assets can be made using photogrammetry(Object-scale photogrammetry,
Human-scale photogrammetry, Large-scale photogrammetry)

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Learn about MAADIGITAL's bespoke photogrammetry services, creating quick, accurate and cost-effective 3D models of real-world objects.

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Guide for photogrammetry Software of 2021

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Differences between photogrammetry and 3D Scanning

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Differences between photogrammetry and 3D Scanning

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Digital 3D models are used in a variety of industries, but there is more than one method to create them from a real object or scene. Photogrammetry and 3D scanning are the two primary methods for creating these models. Whether you need 3D models for design, manufacturing, forensics, or research, below are the pros, cons, and differences between the two methods.

3D Scanning

When comparing 3D scanning to photogrammetry, two varieties are most common - laser and white light 3D scanning. Laser scanning uses a laser to measure an object's geometry and create the model through the data obtained. The laser beam is swept across the surface, and the device uses angle encoders of the beam projector and the return "time-of-flight" to calculate the location of each point in 3D space. Once all of the points are captured and recorded, a dense point cloud results. To capture a complete object, the laser scanner or object is moved, and the scan repeated. Optionally, additional software can connect the points to create a polygonal mesh for 3D modeling and design purposes.

White light 3D scanning utilizes a projector (often LCD) and one or more cameras to map an area or object. Light patterns are projected onto the surface, and the camera then records the surface by measuring where and how the light deforms around it. To ensure every angle is captured, the scanner is moved around the object, or the object is moved in front of the scanner. The result is a point cloud similar to what laser 3D scanning produces, with the same option of producing a polygonal mesh.

Pros & Cons of 3D Scanning

3D scanners have several advantages, primarily, their high accuracy and high resolution. This method performs well for smaller parts and can create data points in real-time. This can save time, as you'll see what areas need to be rescanned or have been missed before taking it into the design phase.

However, light interference can produce unfavorable 3D scans. Both laser and white light scanners read light sources to collect the data. If there's too much ambient light the collected data may be distorted. Because of this, 3D scanning is best used where the lighting can be controlled. Similarly, 3D scanners also have trouble with shiny or reflective surfaces. These surfaces tend to send the light away from the input sensors making getting a quality scan difficult.

One of the biggest disadvantages of 3D scanners is the price. The machinery can cost tens of thousands of dollars. As technology advances, you'll need to purchase new scanners to keep up. Another disadvantage is the size and transportability of the device.

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry is another method used to create 3D models. Instead of using active light sources, this technology uses photographs to gather data. Unlike the expensive machines needed for 3D scanning, photogrammetry only requires a camera of your choice, a computer, and specialized software.

To create a 3D model using photogrammetry, photos are taken from a variety of angles to capture every part of the subject with overlap from picture to picture. This overlap is necessary for the software to align the photos appropriately. Once all of the images are taken, they'll be imported into the photogrammetry software , which aligns the pictures, plot data points, and calculates the distance and location of each point in the 3D space. The result is a 3D point cloud that can create a polygonal mesh, just like 3D scanning.

There are three methods of using photogrammetry: manual, target, and dense matching.

Manual: The manual method of photogrammetry is the slowest and generates a low point count. Though it's not the best for every task, it does allow you to capture exactly what you want. Here the operator identifies like-points across photos.

Targets: The target method is automated and much faster, producing a higher point count. There is a bit more set up time involved, but it is incredibly accurate.

Dense Matching: The dense matching method is the most similar to 3D scanning, generating dense point clouds that can be used in a variety of applications.

Pros & Cons of Photogrammetry

The main advantage of using photogrammetry over 3D scanning is price and accessibility. A camera and photogrammetry software are usually less expensive, and much easier to transport! You might already have a camera as well (often a mobile phone camera will work).

Another important advantage of photogrammetry is its ability to reproduce an object in full color and texture. Though some 3D scanners can produce this as well, photogrammetry is the method to use when you're looking for realism.

Lastly, an interesting advantage is that photogrammetry can work at many scales and sizes. You can model the tip of a finger or a whole mountain range. Other 3D scanners are limited to a particular sized object.

Photogrammetry has its disadvantages. When using the scanning method, as described above, texture plays a big part in how the reference points are made, working with smooth, flat, or solid-colored surfaces can be difficult. There are a few ways to counteract this, but they may be cumbersome or not available. Photogrammetry projects can sometimes involve more in-office processing time as well.

How to Know Which Is Best?

3D laser scanning and photogramme t ry are excellent in their own ways. When deciding which is the best match for your needs, you want to consider your budget, the size of the area, and the level of accuracy you need.

For example, when you need to render a landscape as a 3D model for an archaeological survey or for movie graphics, photogrammetry is the route to take. Since capturing the realism of the scene is most important, photogrammetry will provide better results overall compared to 3D scanning. Or if you want very high accuracy of specific points in your scene or on your object, photogrammetry with targets is the best, and maybe, the only choice.

3D scanning is suited to dense cloud capture of surfaces with little texture. 3D scanning is useful for capturing very large detailed areas.

You can use the two together for specific applications. To solve a case, a forensics team may need to analyze security footage to determine what happened. The camera itself can only capture so much, but by utilizing 3D scanning and photogrammetry, a 3D model can be created and key evidence extracted from the security footage.

Photogrammetry with PhotoModeler

Photogrammetry compares to 3D scanning primarily in its third method (dense matching) - which means photogrammetry offers more capabilities overall. Though laser or white light scanning is useful for capturing objects very quickly to high detail, it is expensive. Anyone can use photogrammetry with a camera, a computer, and our exceptional software at PhotoModeler. us today at sales@photomodeler.com or see our page for more information.

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Photogrammetry vs 3D Scanning | PhotoModeler Technologies

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Digital 3D models are used in a variety of industries, but there is more than one method to create them from a real object or scene. Photogrammetry and 3D scanning are the two primary methods for creating these models. Whether you need 3D models for design, manufacturing, forensics, or research, below are the pros, cons, and differences between the two methods.

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Photogrammetry scanning - With our own phone or camera

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Photogrammetry scanning - With our own phone or camera

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Photogrammetry - 3D scan with just your phone/camera

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Home / Knowledge / Article / Leather / Eco-friendly textiles

Eco-friendly fabrics

Hemp, wool, organic cotton, soy silk, bamboo fabrics, jute, corn fiber etc are considered as eco-friendly fabrics due to their availability from nature with out any harmful effects of chemical or toxics. Moreover, as compared to other synthetic fibers they are available in a cheaper rate.

Textile chemical processing is shifting to undeveloped countries due to easy availability of low-cost labor and minimum eco-restrictions. This is also because of various manufacturing processes undertaken by developed countries and awareness about the related health hazards amongst these people. However, such measures though may be beneficial for the employer, but they are unsafe for the society and therefore their control is very much needed. So, various functions related to the textile industry which are considered as major factors for eco-friend�liness are mentioned below:

Textile processing regarded as non-eco-friendly
Use of chemicals like potassium dichromate, sodium hypochlorite or peroxide and sodium hypochlorite in the preparation process of desizing, scouring and bleaching with their related wash-off stages, produces heavy Biological Oxygen Demands (BOD) in the effluents. Chlorine is not used in bleaching because it creates halogenated organic substances, of which some are suspected to be carcinogenic, e.g., chloroform.

Table-1 indicates that the maximum use of water and production of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) in effluent process-houses of composite mills comes from desizing, scouring and bleaching procedures.

For decreasing BOD, it is recommended to choose the size recipes offering a low COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) and BOD value. A change from pure starch to synthetic starch decreases BOD because of starches by approximately 90 per cent.

Wool industry uses chlorine� based compounds for anti�-shrinking dealing, and such practice also generates toxic effluent. For removing rust stains in bleaching, before bleaching the cloth is treated with oxalic acid. The oxalic acid is lethal to aquatic organisms and it increases COD and BOD to a significant level.

Peroxide bleaching requires a stabilizer to ensure identical and monitored bleaching during the bleaching operation. Optional stabilizers such as Aminio Tri Methylene Phosphoric Acid (ATMP), Hydroxy Ethy!idine Disphosphonic Acid (HEDA), Diethylene Triaminc Penta Methylene Phosphoric Acid (DTPMP) and Ethylene Diamine Tetra Methylene Phosphoric Acid (EDTMP) are also being suggested as peroxide stabilizers.

MAK Group III AI: (workplace exposure):
Carcinogenic amines: Benzidine, 4-chloro-o-toluidine, 2-naphty�lamine and 4-aminodiphenyl.

MAK Group III A 2:
These materials are tested only on animals and they have been proved carcinogenic. A variety of amines in these types are: a-toluidine, o-dianisidine, o-tolidine, o-aminoazotoluene, p-chroanneline, 3, 3' dichlorobenzidine, 2-amino�-4-nitrotoluene and 2, 4-toluylene� diamine. This group also includes materials that may perhaps produce health hazards.

Some dyes form carcinogenic amines on reduction in dyeing and hence they require to be strictly evaded as per stipulation in a number of countries, considerably for increase of BOD/COD and hence, these dyes also need to be avoided for use in dyeing. Most of the known producers have stopped making and marketing dyes creating carcinogenic amines.

High fastness direct dyes should be chosen in such a way that applying copper or chromium salts in their dyeing is avoided. Cationic dye fixing agents utilized for direct dyes and reactive dyes should have low formaldehyde content and low BOD. During reactive dyes the use of urea needs to be lessened. Instead of extremely contaminated sodium sulphide other agents such as hydrol or hydroxyl acetone should be used while dyeing with sulphur dyes.

In polyester dyeing, the carriers and leveling agents utilized should not be supported with chlorinated or phenolic composites. Carriers supported with chlorobenzene are highly toxic and more or less carcinogenic. The leveling agents that contain chlorobenzene as well as per chloroethylene or trichloroethy�lene are carcinogenic compounds, and therefore they should be avoided.

With regards to the direct, vat, sulphur and reactive dyes, dyeing processes need huge amount of salt to achieve good exhaustion of dye-bath. This leads to an increase in the dissolved salts in effluent water. Therefore, new dyes are being made, which would need less salt dilution for achieving dye fixation.

Prevent: To 'prevent' is to give up a process or product in favor of noticeably improving the environmental situation.

Decrease: This can be attained by reducing the pollutant load, exhaustion and fixation of dyes close to 100 per cent and responding to water and energy requirement.

Re-utilise: Re-utilisation of the dye bath is a vital deliberation under the pressure of dwindling resour�ces. This has now turned into pragmatism because of addition of new auxiliaries, modern filter technology and spectrophotometers that calculate the substance of the dye in the dye bath accurately.

Recycle: This recycling of natural fibres is achievable, but it has a limitation of application because of natural degradation. Synthetic fibres can be recycled by melting down and regranulating with or without applying fresh granules. This perhaps is most acceptable to 'green' organizations, but is limited due to lack of uses for the material recycled.

Garment production by using fertilizers, growth regulators, crop protection agents like pesticides and a range of textile chemicals, auxiliaries and finishing agents.

2) User Ecology, which is related to the clothing textiles and the substances that give them beauty and performance charac�teristics during application.

3) Disposal Ecology, which refers to the disposal of textiles after application i.e., to-recycling com�posting, dumping or incinerating in a manner that ascertains the least probable environment effect.

The related factors for eco-standards are:
Formaldehyde, pesticide, carcinogenic dyestuff, skin neutrality, heavy metal content, -pH, fastness to perspiration.

Eco-Iabelling

Eco-standards and eco-Iabels are quickly started to have significance in arrange to have a successful expert and market promotion in the apparel and textile industry. For the delivering eco-Iabels particular standards should be set, i.e., these measures are developed on analysing the product's whole lifecycle beginning with the selection of raw materials progress�ing through the stages of produc�tion, packaging, distribution, use and disposal after utilization.
Some of them are as described below:

OEKO- TEX Standard 100:

For research and testing in the field of textile ecology, the OEKO- TEX standards were given by the Austrian Textile Research Institute and the German "Hohenstein Research Institute".

The OEKO-TEX standards have described a variety of norms and limit values for different classes. They can be described as follows:
. Product class I: Defined for babies and infants up to two years of age.
. Product class II: This class is defined for textiles that come into direct contact with the skin and cover a large part of its surface, during usage.
. Product class III: The class includes textiles which do not come into direct contact with the skin or cover only a small part of its surface during application.
. Product class IV: This class covers furnishing materials which are used for decorative purposes.

Trademarks for textile tested harmful substances:

MUT: This is a trademark for textiles that are made by environmentally sound protection methods (VVUT). It needs acquiescence of certain rules in their manufacture.

GUT: This eco-Iabel was established by well-known companies in European carpet industry. GUT exists for "Gemeinschaft Umwelt�freundlicher Teppichboden." It is an association for environmentally friendly carpets with an objective of maximizing textile floor-coverings and their protection cycle.

GuW: It is a seal of Eco-friendly Fur�nishing Fabric Association.

CLEAN FASHION: It is an Eco-Iabel introduced by private companies related to textiles.

STEILMANN: This is an Eco-Iabel of the most prominent German Textile Company.

GREEN COTTON: A label based on an internal evaluation system that considers social, ecological and toxicological values.

ECO MARK: This is an Indian eco-Iabel.

Function of ISO 14000

The ISO 14000 series of international standards have been made to tackle issues dealing with environment today. The main aims of ISO 14000 are:
. Protection of natural resour�ces.
. Reduction and abatement of waste and emission.
. Constant improvement in environmental performances.
. Efficiency in process by application of the best available technology.
. Compliance to national and international environmental laws and convention.

Eco-management

In India each state has its own pollution control authority. This authority mainly deals with water pollution by textile industry. The aim is to ensure that the effluent water being discharged into city sewage, stream, river or sea is not harmful to human, animal or plant life. In order to get the parameters of effluent water to suitable standards, the effluents are treated by effluent treatment plant.

For controlling air and noise pollution in India, the pollution control authori�ties have taken subjective steps. It can be stated that basically no steps are taken by pollution control authorities to control air and noise pollution in textile industry.

In the case of toxicity of textile products, the awareness is increasing in India due to rigid rules and regulations being set up by developed countries. It has forced Indian producers to fulfill these rules and regulations for attracting exporters.

In eco-management systems followed in textile industry, water utilized for washing is re-used. Also the caustic soda used in mer�cerisation is recovered and re-used.

Water pollution
Textile industries use the maximum amount of water. In the industries, water is contaminated with different chemicals and auxiliaries, which are used for producing textile goods. These chemicals are non-biode�gradable and their elimination before releasing the water is important. The polluted water is unsafe for fauna and flora due to high temperature, odors, turbidity, colors and toxic chemicals.

Controlling water pollution:

Water pollution is controlled by treating the effluent water in three ways:
a. Primary treatment includes neutralization and elimination of suspended solids by sedimentation, flotation, flocculation and coagulation techniques.
b. Secondary treatment process is done by the presence of micro-organism developed at the surface of sewage, sludge in the presence of chemi�cal nutrients such as urea and super phosphates.
c. Tertiary treatments include:

Chemical oxidation: Some inorganic from insolubles precipitate over restricted ranges of pH.

Carbon oxidation: Activated carbon has a surface area, which can absorb a huge quantity of organic materials. Use of carbon can be reactivated; it is extremely useful in eliminating the pigments and dyes, which cannot be eliminated by coagulation. Several limits of various wastes in water are given in Table 2.

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Home / Knowledge / Article / Leather / Eco-friendly textiles Eco-friendly fabrics Hemp, wool, organic cotton, soy silk, bamboo fabrics, jute, corn fiber etc are considered as eco-friendly fabrics due to their availability from nature with out any harmful effects of chemical or toxics.

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Hemp (Cannabis sativa)

Jute (Corchorus capsularis)

Flax (Linum usitatissimum)

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea)

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Pineapple Leaf (Ananas comosus)

Sisal (Agave sisalana)

Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

Cotton (Gossypium)

Coconut Fiber (Cocos nucifera)

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra)

Bamboo (Bambusoideae)

Silk (Bombyx mori)

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Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, The Sirindhorn International Thai-German Graduate School of Engineering, King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

The increase in awareness of the damage caused by synthetic materials on the environment has led to the development of eco-friendly materials. The researchers have shown a lot of interest in developing such materials which can replace the synthetic materials. As a result, there is an increase in demand for commercial use of the natural fiber-based composites in recent years for various industrial sectors. Natural fibers are sustainable materials which are easily available in nature and have advantages like low-cost, lightweight, renewability, biodegradability, and high specific properties. The sustainability of the natural fiber-based composite materials has led to upsurge its applications in various manufacturing sectors. In this paper, we have reviewed the different sources of natural fibers, their properties, modification of natural fibers, the effect of treatments on natural fibers, etc. We also summarize the major applications of natural fibers and their effective use as reinforcement for polymer composite materials.

Introduction

Material selection in design and manufacturing of a sustainable product plays a vital role in the field of engineering design. The materials are used to explore their physical properties along with their mechanical properties to make the product better one and reach its customer satisfaction levels. The polymer composite materials are one of such materials which provide the ease of processing, productivity, and cost reduction ( Faruk et al., 2012; Al-Oqla and Sapuan, 2014; Sanjay and Suchart, 2019). The composites are tailor-made materials which have a unique quality where the properties can be altered by varying the different reinforcement and matrix phase ( Bledzki and Gassan, 1999; Yogesha, 2017). Compared with the synthetic fibers, the natural fibers have many advantages due to their abundance, availability, and low cost ( Arpitha et al., 2017; Madhu et al., 2019b). The natural fibers are introduced instead of synthetic fibers to make the composites lighter. The density of natural fibers (1.2-1.6 g/cm ³) is lower than glass fiber (2.4 g/cm ³), which leads to the making of the light-weight composites. As a result, there is an increase in the demand for the commercial use of natural fiber-based composites in various industrial sectors. Therefore, natural fibers such as hemp, jute, sisal, banana, coir, and kenaf are extensively used in the production of the lightweight composites ( Sreekala and Thomas, 2003; Thakur et al., 2014; Oksman et al., 2016). The natural fiber-based composites have been used in automotive interior linings (roof, rear wall, side panel lining), furniture, construction, packaging, and shipping pallets, etc. ( Oksman, 2001; Lau et al., 2018; Sood and Dwivedi, 2018; Santhosh Kumar and Hiremath, 2019). Natural fibers are extracted from different plants and animals (chicken feather, hair, etc.) ( Aziz and Ansell, 2004; Huda et al., 2006; Kicinska-Jakubowska et al., 2012). The plant fibers are made up of constituents like cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose, pectin, waxes, and water-soluble substances, which is represented in Figure 1. The presence of cellulose which is hydrophilic in nature affects the interfacial bonding between the polymer matrix and the fibers because the matrix is hydrophobic. Chemical treatment of the natural fibers is one of the ways to optimize the interaction between the fibers and polymer matrix. As it reduces the OH functional groups present on the fiber surface and also it increases the surface roughness and hence enhances the interfacial interaction between the matrix and the fibers ( Liu et al., 2005; Mahjoub et al., 2014; Manimaran et al., 2017; Athith et al., 2018; Sanjay et al., 2019a). The study of natural fibers is very essential to develop eco-friendly composites.

Source, Properties, and Applications of Natural Fibers

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus)

The kenaf fibers are one of the important fibers belongs to bast fibers and it is mainly used for paper and rope production ( Hamidon et al., 2019; Omar et al., 2019). Kenaf is a fibrous plant. They are stiff, strong, and tough and have high resistance to insecticides. These plants are cultivated 4,000 years ago in Africa, Asia, America, and some parts of Europe ( Saba et al., 2015; Zamri et al., 2016; Shahinur and Hasan, 2019b). The fibers are extracted from flowers, outer fiber, and inner core. The outer fiber is known as bast which makes 40% of the stalks dry weight and the inner core comprises of 60% of stalks dry weight. The kenaf plants upon harvesting are processed by using a mechanical fiber separator and the whole stalk is used in pulping. The extracted fibers must be treated chemically or bacterially to separate it from the non-fibrous substances like wax, pectin, and other substances ( Suharty et al., 2016; Arjmandi et al., 2017). These fibers can be converted into fine woven fabrics. Kenaf fibers are environmentally friendly as they are completely biodegradable. In the olden days, these fibers were used for textiles, cords, ropes, storage bags, and Egyptians used it for making boats. Nowadays these fibers are made as composites along with other materials and are used in automotive, construction, packaging, furniture, textiles, mats, paper pulp, etc. ( Nishino et al., 2003; Anuar and Zuraida, 2011; Atiqah et al., 2014; Kipriotis et al., 2015).

Hemp (Cannabis sativa)

The Hemp is one of the kinds of plants species grown mainly in Europe and Asia. It grows up to 1.2-4.5 m and 2 cm in diameter ( Bhoopathi et al., 2014; Réquilé et al., 2018). The inner girth is surrounded by core, and the outer layer is the bast fiber and it is attached to the inner layer by glue-like substance or pectin. These fibers are used in rope, textiles, garden mulch, the assortment of building material and animal beddings. In recent developments, it is used to fabricate different composites ( Li et al., 2006; Martin et al., 2013; Väisänen et al., 2018). The hemp plants are harvested, and the woody core from bast fibers is separated by a sequence of mechanical process. The woody core is cleaned to obtain the required core content and sometimes they are cut to the desired size. While the separated bast fibers are further processed to form yarn or bundles ( Clarke, 2010; Duval et al., 2011; Fang et al., 2013; Raman Bharath et al., 2015; Sam-Brew and Smith, 2015).

Jute (Corchorus capsularis)

The jute an important natural fiber grown in parts of Asia including India, Bangladesh, China, and Myanmar ( Khan and Khan, 2014; Das, 2017; Shahinur and Hasan, 2019a). The jute plant grows up to 15-20 cm in 4 months, and the fibers are extracted after harvesting which is about 4 months from cultivation. The retting process is done either with the help of chemicals (N ₂H ₈C ₂O ₄, Na ₂SO ₃, etc.) or biologically ( Rahman, 2010). In biological retting, the stalks which are harvested are arranged in bundles and allowed to soak in water for about 20 days ( Banik et al., 2003; Behera et al., 2012). This removes the pectin between the bast and the wood core which helps in the separation of the fibers. Then these fibers are allowed to dry.

Flax (Linum usitatissimum)

The flax fibers are produced from the prehistoric period. These fibers are separated from the stems of the plant Linum usitatissimum is mainly used to produce linen ( Ruan et al., 2015; De Prez et al., 2018; Bourmaud et al., 2019). These are cellulosic plants but they are more in crystalline form. These fibers measure up to 90 cm length and diameter of 12-16 μm. Netherlands, Belgium, and France are the leading manufacturers of these fibers. These fibers are used in furniture materials, textiles bed sheets, linen, interior decoration accessories, etc. ( Van de Weyenberg et al., 2003; Charlet et al., 2010; Angelini and Tavarini, 2013; Ramesh, 2019). The fiber extraction involves the retting, and scorching both this process will make some alterations in the properties of the fibers. The retting involves the enzymes which degrade the pectin around the flax fibers which results in separation of fibers. Canada is the largest flax producer and exporter in the world, produced about 872,000 tons ( Bos et al., 2006; Zafeiropoulos and Baillie, 2007; Martin et al., 2013; Zhu et al., 2013).

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea)

Ramie is one of the herbaceous perennial plants cultivated extensively in the region native to China, Japan, and Malaysia where it has been used for over a century as one of the textile fabrics ( Nam and Netravali, 2006; Rehman et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2019). Ramie is a non-branching, fast-growing plant which grows up to 1-2 m height. The fibers extracted from the stem are the strongest and longest of the natural bast fibers. They are used to make sweaters in combination with cotton, also it is used in upholstery, gas mantle, fishing nets, and marine packings, etc. ( Cengiz and Babalik, 2009; Marsyahyo et al., 2009; Sen and Jagannatha Reddy, 2011b). In addition to this attempt has been made for developing bio-based products by utilizing them in the field of automotive, furniture, construction, etc. The ramie fibers are extensively used for the production of a wide range of textiles, pulp, and paper, agrochemicals, composites, etc. The processing of the ramie fibers is similar to linen from flax ( Angelini and Tavarini, 2013; Bunsell, 2018).

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Nettle is the commonly grown herbaceous plant consists of 35-40 different species generally grown in Europe, Asia, Northern Africa, and North America ( Bacci et al., 2009; Akgül, 2013; Lanzilao et al., 2016). The plant usually grows up to 2 m in length, the leaves are soft and green which are 3-15 cm long. The leaves and stems are generally hairy and have stinging hairs on them ( Cummings and Olsen, 2011; Fang et al., 2013; Bourgeois et al., 2016). The fiber extraction is done by harvesting the plants during the flowering period. The fiber is extracted either by retting the stalks or by decorticating. The typical applications of nettle fibers are in the textile industry, bioenergy, animal housing, etc. Nowadays attempts have been made to use the nettle fibers on an industrial scale ( Bacci et al., 2009; Mortazavi and Moghaddam, 2010).

Pineapple Leaf (Ananas comosus)

Sisal (Agave sisalana)

The sisal is one of the most used natural fibers and Brazil is one of the largest producers of this fiber. It is a species native to south Mexico consists of the rosette of leaves grows up to 1.5-2 m tall ( Naveen et al., 2018; Sanjay et al., 2018; Senthilkumar et al., 2018; Devaraju and Harikumar, 2019). The sisal produces about 200-250 commercially usable leaves in the life span of 6-7 years. The sisal fibers are having good range of mechanical properties and are used in the automotive industry, shipping industry (for mooring small craft and handling cargo), civil constructions, used as fiber core of the steel wire cables of elevators, agricultural twine or baler twine, etc. ( Mihai, 2013; Ramesh et al., 2013; Nirmal et al., 2015; Aslan et al., 2018).

Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera)

The date palm is known as palm extensively grown for its fruit. The biodiversity of the date palm is all over the world comprising around 19 species with more than 5,000 cultivators all around the world ( Wales and Blackman, 2017; Alotaibi et al., 2019; Rivera et al., 2019). The date palm trees ( Phoenix dactylifera L.) are the tallest among the Phoenix species and can grow up to 23 m height ( Al-Oqla and Sapuan, 2014; Gheith et al., 2018; Masri et al., 2018). The date palm rachis and leaves are accumulated in large quantity after the harvesting of the date farm fruits every year in the farming lands of different countries. These fibers can be used as the potential cellulosic fiber sources. These fibers from leaves and rachis can be used as the reinforcement for thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Some researchers have found ways to use the date palm fibers in the automotive application ( Alawar et al., 2009; Arunachalam, 2012; Liu et al., 2018).

Cotton (Gossypium)

Cotton belongs to the sub-tribe Hibisceae and family of Malvaceae is an important agricultural crop ( Elmogahzy and Farag, 2018). It is the commonly used natural fiber for the production of cloths. The cotton is grown in tropical and subtropical regions, and China is the largest producer of cotton followed by India and the United States ( Mwaikambo et al., 2000; Colomban and Jauzein, 2018). Among the various species of cotton, upland cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum) and pima cotton ( Gossypium barbadense) are the most popular ( Zou et al., 2011; Al-Oqla et al., 2015; Sharma et al., 2017). The leaves of the cotton are removed and are collected and compressed into truckload-sized "modules." Later the modules are transported to processing plant known as the cotton gin. The gin separates the seeds, sticks, burrs, etc. from the cotton fibers. The cotton fiber is used extensively in textile industries, and recently attempts have been made to develop the composites for industrial applications ( Cheung et al., 2009; Gupta and Srivastava, 2016; Balaji and Senthil Vadivu, 2017).

Coconut Fiber (Cocos nucifera)

The coconut fiber is obtained from the husk of the coconut fruit. Among the different natural fibers, coconut fiber is the thickest. Coconut trees are mainly grown in tropical regions ( Nair, 2010; Arulandoo et al., 2016; Danso, 2017). The major share of the commercially produced coconut fiber comes from India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Philippines, and Malaysia ( Pham, 2016). Coir fiber, in particular, is a light and strong fiber that has been attracted scientific and commercial importance due to their specific characteristics and availability ( Sen and Jagannatha Reddy, 2011a). Compared to other typical natural fibers, coconut fiber has higher lignin and lower cellulose and hemicellulose, together with its high microfibrillar angle, offers various valuable properties, such as resilience, strength, and damping, wear, resistance to weathering, and high elongation at break. The coir fiber is used for making ropes, mats, mattresses, brushes, in the upholstery industry, agriculture, construction, etc. ( Al-Oqla and Sapuan, 2014; Verma and Gope, 2014; Sengupta and Basu, 2016; dos Santos et al., 2018).

Kapok (Ceiba pentandra)

Bamboo (Bambusoideae)

Silk (Bombyx mori)

Silk fibers are extracted from silkworms for the clothing purpose since ancient times. Silk is produced largely in China, South Asia, and Europe ( Das and Natarajan, 2019; Shera et al., 2019). Fibers are extracted from the Cocoons which are the larvae of the insects undergoing complete metamorphosis. Silk fibers possess good mechanical properties such as high strength, extensibility, and compressibility ( Yuan et al., 2010; Murugesh Babu, 2016; Castrillón Martínez et al., 2017; McGregor, 2018).

Possibilities to Enhance the Properties of Natural Fibers

Chemical Treatments

The recent trends in the development of the newer materials have led in replacing materials like glass and carbon reinforced composites with the natural fibers reinforced composites, for example in automobile interior, pedestrian bridge, shipping pallets, composite roof tiles, furniture, toys, etc. ( Senthamaraikannan et al., 2016; Senthamaraikannan and Kathiresan, 2018; Madhu et al., 2019a; Sanjay et al., 2019b). However, the main drawback of natural fibers as reinforcement is that they are incompatible with thermoplastics due to their hydrophilic nature which results in the poor interfacial interaction between the fibers and matrix. This result in the poor mechanical properties of the composites. Therefore, the modification of natural fibers is required to make them less hydrophilic. Here an attempt is made to brief about various chemical treatments on natural fibers ( Sepe et al., 2018).

Alkaline Treatment

The natural fiber consists of lignin, pectin, waxy materials, and natural oils which covers the outside layer of the fiber cell wall ( Liu et al., 2004; Edeerozey et al., 2007; Hamidon et al., 2019). The chemical treatment alters the structure of the natural fibers, and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is one of the chemical reagent used for this process ( Rong et al., 2001; Baiardo et al., 2002; Sgriccia et al., 2008). The alkaline reagent is used to alter the structure of the cellulose in the plant fibers by cleaning the surface and the process called alkalization. Mwaikambo and Ansell treated hemp, jute, sisal, and kapok fibers with the NaOH at 20°C for about 48 h and washed using distilled water and acetic acid to neutralize the excess of NaOH. The thermal properties, surface morphology, and crystallinity index of the treated and untreated fibers were studied. The studies revealed that the chemically treated fibers showed the better fiber-resin adhesion lead to an increase in interfacial energy and thus enhancing the thermal and mechanical properties of the composites ( Mwaikambo and Ansell, 2002). Kenaf fiber mats were treated with the NaOH solution for 24 h at a temperature of 45°C. The mats were washed with tap water after the chemical treatment and were immersed in the distilled water containing 1% acetic acid to neutralize the excess of NaOH and the mats were dried for 12 h at 45°C in an oven. The mats were then treated with 5% aminopropyl triethoxysilane diluted with an aqueous solution of methanol. The authors observed a significant increase in mechanical properties for the treated kenaf fiber modified PP composites ( Asumani et al., 2012). In an interesting work, the retting process was used to extract the fibers from Napier grass and the aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, about 2-5% is used to treat the Napier grass fibers at room temperature for about 30 min to remove the hemicelluloses and to clean the fibers. The fibers then washed with distilled water repeatedly and dried at 100°C. The alkalization has reduced the amount of hemicellulose in fiber, thus resulting in better mechanical property than that of untreated fiber ( Reddy et al., 2012). The Carica papaya fibers were treated with the 5% concentration of NaOH by varying the soaking time from 15 to 90 min at the room temperature. The excess of NaOH from the surface was washed repeatedly using distilled water and was dried for about 56 h. The fibers treated at 60 min with 5% alkaline solution showed the optimum results which showed that complete elimination of hemicelluloses and lignin ( Saravanakumaar et al., 2018).

Silane Treatment

Acetylation Treatment

Acetylation of the natural fibers is the process of introducing an acetyl group on the surface of the fibers. This process was used to reduce the hydrophilic nature of fibers providing stability to the composites. The acetylation increases the fiber-matrix adhesion properties, hence the strong bond provides good properties to the natural fiber-based composites ( Hill et al., 1998; Rong et al., 2001; Sreekala and Thomas, 2003). The OH groups of the fibers react with the acetyl groups thus making the fibers more hydrophobic. Generally, lignin and hemicellulose which contain the hydroxyl group react with acetyl groups to become hydrophobic. Normally, before treatment with glacial acetic acid, the natural fiber is alkali-treated. The alkali-treated fibers were soaked in glacial acetic acid for 1 h and later soaked for 2-5 min in acetic anhydride containing two drops of concentrated H ₂SO ₄. The fibers were then washed and dried at 80°C using an oven for 6 h ( Paul et al., 1997; Manikandan Nair et al., 2001; Mishra et al., 2003).

Peroxide Treatment

Benzoylation Treatment

Benzoylation is used to decrease the hydrophilic nature of the fibers ( Ali et al., 2016). The fiber-matrix bonding is improved by this treatment which increases the strength of the composites. For benzoylation, the fibers are first treated with NaOH followed by benzoyl chloride (C ₆H ₅COCl) treatment for 15 min. Later the fibers were isolated and treated with ethanol for 1 min and finally washed with distilled water and dried in an oven at 80°C for 24 h ( Manikandan Nair et al., 2001; Zhang et al., 2005). The thermal stability of the treated fibers was higher than that of the untreated fibers.

Potassium Permanganate (KMnO₄) Treatment

The potassium permanganate is used as the chemical reagent to modify the interfacial interaction between the fiber and matrix. Different treatment methodologies are introduced. In one of the studies, the alkaline treated fibers were treated with potassium permanganate for different concentration (0.005-0.205 %) for 1 min and dried using the oven ( Khan et al., 2006). Zaman et al. treated the jute fabrics with KMnO ₄ along with acetone for different concentration (0.02, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.5%) and soaking times (1, 2, 3, and 5 min) and was dried in the oven ( Zaman et al., 2010).

Stearic Acid Treatment

Table 1. Chemical treatments for different natural fibers.

Effect of Treatments on Natural Fibers

The chemical treatments of the natural fibers mainly enhance the properties of the fiber by modifying their microstructure along with improvement in wettability, surface morphology, chemical groups and tensile strength of the fibers ( Saba et al., 2014; Dolez et al., 2017; Preet Singh et al., 2017; Halip et al., 2018; Yu et al., 2019). The chemical treatment of the fiber improved the interfacial adhesion between the fiber surface and polymer matrix thereby the thermomechanical properties of the composites. The chemical treatment on ramie fibers has shown that the treatment of fibers with alkaline or saline or the combined treatment results in the improvement of the tensile strength ( Gassan and Bledzki, 1997; Thakur and Thakur, 2014; Varghese and Mittal, 2017; Debeli et al., 2018; Sanjay et al., 2019a). The chemical treatment is one of the important techniques used to reduce the hydrophilic nature of the natural fibers also it improves the adhesion with the matrix. The structural and morphological changes can be observed with the treatment of the fibers, and this is mainly due to the removal of non-cellulosic substances from the natural fibers. The significant improvements of the properties of the composites are reported after different chemical treatments along with the increase in the thermal stability of the composites reinforced with natural fibers ( Singh et al., 1996; Xie et al., 2010; Xu et al., 2013; Chen et al., 2018).

Natural Fibers as Reinforcement for Composites Materials

Over the past few decades, attempts have been made in developing the materials which replace the existing materials to have better mechanical and tribological properties for various applications ( Arpitha and Yogesha, 2017; Abdellaoui et al., 2019). In view of this the monolithic materials are replaced by the fibers and materials such as carbon, glass, aramid fibers which are extensively used in aerospace, automotive, construction, and sporting industries, etc. ( Balakrishnan et al., 2016; Pickering et al., 2016; Asim et al., 2018). However, these materials have some disadvantages like non-biodegradability, non-renewability, high-energy requirement for production, and also harmful to the environment as the production of these materials releases enormous amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore, to overcome all these drawbacks researchers has made an attempt to study on the different natural fiber-reinforced composites which have better properties so that they can replace synthetic fibers in various applications ( Wambua et al., 2003; Li et al., 2007; Sanjay et al., 2015; Mochane et al., 2019). As the demand for the newer materials which have better properties than the existing ones upsurges, the researchers have tried different types of natural materials with different natural fibers obtained from fruits, seeds, leaves, stem, animals, etc. ( Sanjay et al., 2019a). The properties of a few important natural fibers are presented in Table 2. As discussed above, the natural fibers are modified by using different chemical treatments thus modifying the properties and increasing the properties of natural fiber composites. Also, the polymers and other synthetic materials have been used along with the natural fibers to enhance the properties of the natural fibers and these ideas have led to the development of several hybrid composites reinforced with natural fibers, and filler materials ( Sawpan et al., 2011; Boopalan et al., 2013; Pickering et al., 2016; Sanjay et al., 2016; Madhu et al., 2018).

Properties of Natural Fiber Composites

In the automotive industry, asbestos-based brake pads and lining couplings, etc., are not preferred due to its carcinogenic nature. The replacements to asbestos fiber include ceramic fiber, steel fiber, alumina fiber, glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and their combinations. However, the production cost of these fibers is very high and are not environmentally friendly. Xin et al. studied the friction and wear properties of treated sisal fiber reinforced composites as a substitute for asbestos-based brake pads. The treated sisal fiber reinforced composite exhibits properties equivalent to the commercial friction composite. The authors recommend treated sisal is an ideal substitute of asbestos for brake pads ( Xin et al., 2007).

The pineapple reinforced polyethylene composites were studied for the electrical properties and found that due to the increased interfacial polarization and orientation with an increase in the number of fibers in composites the dielectric property increases ( Jayamol et al., 1997). Similarly, the composites prepared with using the sisal fiber showed electric anisotropic behavior ( Chand and Jain, 2005). It is observed that the chemical treatments like alkali, stearic acid, peroxide, acetylation, and permanganate decrease the dielectric property of composites due to the decrease in hydrophilicity of the composite ( Li et al., 2000). The electrical properties of phenol formaldehyde composites modified with banana fiber have been studied. The dielectric constant decreased with fiber loading and fiber treatment. For hybrid composites with glass fiber, the dielectric constant decreased with increasing glass fiber concentration ( Joseph and Thomas, 2008).

Applications

Automotive and aircraft industries have been actively manufacturing different kinds of natural fibers parts for their interior components ( Sanjay et al., 2016; Puttegowda et al., 2018). Insulation materials are also made from natural fibers for different application areas, such as blowing insulation, pouring insulation, impact sound insulation materials and ceiling panels for thermal insulation, and acoustic soundproofing ( Akin, 2010). Natural fibers show a sustainable future in architecture, with a vast variety of building materials, shapes, and even improving current commonly used materials. The use of synthetic fibers in the field of architecture could be substituted with natural fibers. It is used as material for sunscreens, cladding, walling, and flooring ( Steffens et al., 2017). The natural fibers such as flax, hemp, sisal, and wool are now used in Mercedes-Benz components ( Holbery and Houston, 2006). The coir/polyester-reinforced composites were used in the mirror casing, paperweights, voltage stabilizer cover, projector cover, helmet, and roof ( Khondker et al., 2005). The flax fibers were used in GreenBente24 boat ( Ticoalu et al., 2010). Rice husk fiber, cotton, ramie, jute fiber, kenaf are used in various applications like building materials, furniture industry, clothing, ropes, sewing thread, fishing nets, packing materials, and paper manufacture ( Sen and Jagannatha Reddy, 2011b). Lots of efforts have been made to increase the use of natural fiber composites in the automotive industry, particularly in car interiors. Besides the use for car interior parts, it also used for manufacturing exterior auto body components ( Shuit et al., 2009; Monteiro et al., 2010; Shinoj et al., 2011; Mohammed et al., 2015).

Degradation of the Natural Fibers Reinforced Polymers

In the present scenario, there is an increase in awareness regarding the environmental pollutions due to industrial waste which has led to replacing the harmful synthetic materials with more eco-friendly materials. The use of plastics is increased especially for household and commercial use. The use of plastic products leads to the accumulation of non-biodegradable wastes and are a threat to the ecological system. Therefore, extensive research has been carried out over the last decade on the biodegradation of plastics. Natural fibers along with the synthetic biodegradable materials can be used to develop biocomposites which have benefits toward the environment like biodegradability, renewability of base material, and reduction in emission of greenhouse gasses. Degradation offers a lot of advantages such as the reduction of plastic waste and reduction in the cost of waste management ( Fakhrul and Islam, 2013; Gunti et al., 2018).

It is necessary to promote the use of natural fibers as reinforcement in the polymer so that the materials become biodegradable to some extent. Proper degradation of the plastics must be a better way to avoid the harmful effects on the environment. Therefore, one must always look for the plastics which are compostable or degradable. However, this cannot be implemented for every material but can be reduced with the use of biopolymers to some extent ( Chauhan and Chauhan, 2015; Thiagamani et al., 2019).

Future Market Trends

In current market trends, natural fibers reinforced polymers are experiencing comprehensive growth with good prospects in automotive and construction industries. Bast fiber such as hemp, kenaf, flax, etc., are preferred for automotive applications. On the other hand, wood plastic composite is the material of choice for construction industries. Looking at the developments of the current trends Europe is predicted to remain as the largest market for natural fiber-reinforced composites due to the high acceptance level of environmentally friendly composite materials by automotive industries, government agencies, and growth in small scale environmentally friendly industries. The improvement in materials performance will drive the growth of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites in new potential areas. Natural fiber composites are new in electrical, electronics and sporting segments, however, it has the potential to capture a good market share in the future.

Conclusions

Increased environmental awareness has resulted in the utilization of natural fiber as an effective reinforcement material in polymer matrix composites. Natural fibers are proficient materials which can replace the existing synthetic fibers. The fibers are usually extracted from plants and animals often offer poor resistance to moisture and incompatible nature of fibers become the main disadvantage. Therefore, modification of material properties has done through chemical treatments of natural fibers which improve the adhesion between the fibers and matrix and enhance the mechanical properties of the composites. In the near future, the natural fiber will become one of the sustainable and renewable resources in the composite field which can replace synthetic fibers in many applications.

Author Contributions

All authors listed have made a substantial, direct and intellectual contribution to the work, and approved it for publication.

Funding

This research was partly supported by the King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok with Grant No. KMUTNB-63-KNOW-001.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

References

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Li, Y., Mai, Y., and Ye, L. (2000). Sisal ® bre and its composites : a review of recent developments IM PA US AS DO ME US EX ON AS. Compos. Sci. Technol. 60, 2037-2055. doi: 10.1016/S0266-3538(00)00101-9

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Natural Fibers as Sustainable and Renewable Resource for Development of Eco-Friendly Composites: A Comprehensive Review

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The increase in awareness of the damage caused by synthetic materials on the environment has led to the development of eco-friendly materials. The researchers have shown a lot of interest in developing such materials which can replace the synthetic materials.

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

# data[].attributes.headline
Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Organic Cotton

Linen

SeaCell

Lyocell

Modal

Hemp

Soya Fabric

rPET

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In the wool industry, sheep are beaten, kicked, stamped on, thrown, mutilated, and even killed by the workers who shear them - a recent PETA Asia investigation exposed the cruelty inherent in the UK wool industry.

Luckily, there's no need to buy wool or other animal-derived materials. There has been a surge in the availability of eco-friendly vegan fabrics that are the ideal combination of soft and sustainable, and many clothing brands are now opting for them instead of using wool. Here are some of the high-performing cruelty-free fibres you should be wearing:

SeaCell

Not only is seaweed a great snack, it also makes a great fabric! To manufacture SeaCell fibres, dried seaweed is ground, crushed, and mixed with cellulose. The brown algae used reportedly remineralises the skin, activates cell regeneration, limits inflammation, soothes skin irritation (bye bye, itchy wool!), and detoxifies the body.

Soya Fabric

Soya fabric, also known as "vegetable cashmere", is an eco-friendly, petrochemical-free material made from a by-product of soya-bean processing. It has the softness and lustre of silk, the drape and durability of cotton, and the warmth and comfort of cashmere.

Note: Before purchasing any item, always check the label to make sure that it contains only non-animal materials.
*****

These vegan fabrics are the face of the future. They're versatile and environmentally sound, and they don't involve cruelty to animals - what more could you want?

To find cruelty-free clothing, check out our list of companies using the "PETA-Approved Vegan" logo:

Please also take action for animals suffering in the wool industry and urge boohoo to stop selling wool:

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Forget Wool - Eco-Friendly Vegan Fabrics Are the Future

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In the wool industry, sheep are beaten, kicked, stamped on, thrown, mutilated, and even killed by the workers who shear them - a recent PETA Asia investigation exposed the cruelty inherent in the UK wool industry. Luckily, there's no need to buy wool or other animal-derived materials.

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Eco-friendly fabrics and materials-yarn dyeing

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Eco-friendly fabrics and materials-yarn dyeing

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environmentally friendly fabrics and materials-yarn dyeing

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My companion, Elinor Gotland, watched me empty out a pocket stuffed with birch leaves. My fresh birch leaves weighed just over 100g. Ignoring Elinor's grouchy temper, I added water to the pot, simmered them for an hour and left them to cool. Three 25g skeins of Shetland wool yarn were already prepared, on the left, one mordanted with 10% alum, in the middle, one mordanted with 2% iron and on the right, one mordanted with 2% copper solution. To take another look at the Taking them out next day, at first I thought I had got my labelling mixed up. According to my routine, a skein with iron mordant gets a yellow plastic clip, a copper one has a white clip and the two alum mordanted skeins should have pink clips. After a pause for staring at the wool and thinking about
" I suppose you'll be boiling that lot up and stinking out the kitchen again."
"Simmering, Elinor, not boiling. I've no idea if birch leaf dye will smell, the books never say anything about that. And yes, the dog and I had a lovely woodland walk, thanks for asking."
"Mmmm, no sooner have the trees sprouted a few leaves than you go pulling them all off."
"I only stripped a twig from each silver birch I passed. Just going to check how much I've got."
"Oh, you're not weighing those leaves in the kitchen scales, are you? They might be covered in bird poo or anything."
"Oh hush, I'll give the dish a wash. Smile, why don't you, this is the beginning of an exciting new dye experiment."
"Not if you're a birch tree, it's not."

A sample of the birch leaf dye bath looked pale yellow and tested mildly acidic with pH paper. Adding a little soda ash to a second sample deepened the colour, but I thought this time, I would not meddle with the pH of the whole bath, just leave it as it was and concentrate on the effects of metal mordants and modifiers.
All four skeins went into the dye pot with the leaves still in it, together with a small piece of unmordanted cotton and a piece of linen mordanted with aluminium acetate. They were simmered for nearly an hour and left to soak overnight.

Jenny Dean's book Wild Colour said birch leaves would dye an equal weight of fibre which had been mordanted in advance, so I planned to add 100g of premordanted wool. difference between using iron and copper either as mordants or as modifiers after dyeing alum mordanted yarn, I wanted a fourth 25g skein, so I put another Shetland one in with some other wool yarn I happened to be mordanting in alum. recent results with daffodil, dandelion and ivy leaf dye baths, I decided the brownest colour was typical of iron premordant and had been correctly tagged and the warmer toned skein was likely to be copper as shown by its white tag. Which left the two pink clipped skeins, the first two on the left of this photo, both alum, but not identical, one being a much deeper and more vibrant yellow green than the other.

Elinor had hidden herself in a shady spot, where I hoped a long, cold drink might be improving her mood.
"You won't dry that wool by breathing all over it, Beaut. And it won't do the colour any good to hang it in direct sun, it'll fade. " That sheep is paranoid too much sunshine will bleach her fleece and still inclined to grouch at me. "W hat's a May Bank Holiday for, if not getting sunburned? Or awfully dehydrated?" Elinor clinked her ice cubes and bit into her cucumber slice.
"Half a minute now, I'm trying to think."
"Ah, is that why you've gone all red in the face?"
"This second alum mordanted skein - I may have made a mistake with my calculations."
"Again, Beaut? It's no surprise you were in the Remedial Maths class at school."
"I think I mordanted it with 20% alum instead of 10% by weight. I put it in to mordant with some skeins of aran yarn and I reckon I must have done the whole lot wrong."

Before completing the planned trial, I took the paler skein of alum mordanted yarn and divided it into parts. One part was saved just as it was, representing my usual 10% alum mordant. In this photo, it is the little drab shein on top of the larger one, which I think had a 20% alum mordant.

A short length of the 10% alum mordanted yarn was soaked in alkali solution, just to get an idea of what alkalinising a whole dye bath might do. It turned a brighter yellow, though not as saturated a shade as the 20% alum mordanted yarn (left). Another part of the 10% alum yarn was simmered for five minutes with a splash of iron water to modify it, turning a grey green, whereas the iron premordanted skein was much browner (centre). The final part of the 10% alum mordanted yarn was simmered with a splash of copper solution, turning it a green gold, less gingery than the copper premordanted skein (right).
Birch leaf dye has proved well worth a trial and i t does look as though adding soda ash to alkalinise the bath would bring up the colour even more . As before, the effect of modifying alum mordanted yarn with iron and copper pleases me better than the effect of actually mordanting the yarn with iron or copper beforehand. After my probable miscalculation, it seems to me I should consider using a higher percentage of alum to mordant wool in future. The older dye books often specify using more mordant than modern authors recommend, could be the old girls knew more than they have been credited with. Hey ho, I already have some skeins which I think were accidentally mordanted at 20% by weight, they were Drops Alaska on sale at cut price from Wool Warehouse, so it won't cost a bomb to buy some more and do a few more experiments. And there are masses of birch leaves and far more to come.

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My companion, Elinor Gotland, watched me empty out a pocket stuffed with birch leaves. My fresh birch leaves weighed just over 100g. Ignoring Elinor's grouchy temper, I added water to the pot, simmered them for an hour and left them to cool.

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Eco-friendly fabrics and materials-yarn dyeing

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Eco-friendly fabrics and materials-yarn dyeing

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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When trying to read clothing labels these days, it's easy to get buried in all the (potentially) sustainable fabrics.

And so much of the innovation is just, well...strange. Fabrics made from apples and pineapples? What?!

What's more, there are different manufacturing processes, certification schemes, and conflicting practices for almost every.single.one.

But in order to promote a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry, it's critical we as consumers understand these differences-at least on a basic level.

After all, materials are what most determine the environmental impact of our clothes, directly contributing to: consumption of water, microplastic pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, soil degradation, rainforest destruction and lastly landfill waste of epic proportions.

By choosing eco-friendly fabrics alone, you're taking a huge step toward a more sustainable wardrobe.

So while you definitely be asking #whomademyclothes, perhaps the first question we should ask is, "What are my clothes made of?".

What Are Eco-Friendly Fabrics?

You know the type of fabric used for those sustainable socks or t-shirt will determine how much environmental degradation it ends up causing-but what does "sustainable fabric" mean"?

What makes a fabric sustainable? How do you know if fabric is sustainable really?

Well, first let's touch on what makes an un sustainable clothing fabric.

Conventional fabrics used in fashion and home goods-i.e. cotton, viscose fabric, leather, among many others-have historically been developed with profit (not planet) in mind, entailing:

Environmentally devastating sourcing of raw materials (unsustainable farming, deforestation, and petroleum drilling)

Chemically-intensively material processing (plasticizing, bleaching, softening, and dyeing)

Poor end-of-life prospects (ways a garment can be disposed of) leading to tremendous amounts of textile waste-to the tune of almost 15 million tons per year in the US alone.

With that in mind, the Sustainable Jungle sustainable fabrics definition is this:
Textiles that significantly minimizes the impact of its conventional alternatives, whether through organic and chemical-free farming, use of recycled materials, circular manufacturing processes, and sustainable prospects for end-of-life disposal.
On the positive side, environmentally friendly fabrics are becoming easier and easier to find. Here's our list of some of the most sustainable fabrics for clothing brands are using to stake their claim for a better fashion future.

Now that we've answered, "What is a sustainable fabric?", let's get into the nitty-gritty (or should we say, knitty-gritty?) of what fabrics are sustainable.

The Full List Of Sustainable Fabrics

Natural Sustainable Clothing Fabrics (Vegan)

Potentially-Sustainable Natural Animal Fabrics (Non-Vegan)

Natural Sustainable Fashion Fabrics (Vegan)

4. Linen

Linen is almost identical to hemp in terms of sustainability, as well as in their super light and breathable final fabrics.

The only difference?

Organic linen is derived from the flax plant, whose growth requires little to no fertilizer, pesticide, and irrigation inputs.

However, unlike hemp, organic linen isn't as high-yielding and grows in more specific climates (Europe, mainly), which makes it a bit more of a luxury commodity.

But that doesn't stop this centuries-old eco-friendly fabric becoming a favorite for everything from linen clothing to linen sheets.

Recycled Synthetic Sustainable Fashion Fabrics (Vegan)

7. ECONYL®

Synthetic fabrics largely represent the opposite of what we look for in eco-friendly clothing fabrics. They're made of petroleum, release thousands of microplastics in waterways with each wash, and will sit in landfills for hundreds of years.

But since synthetics have a function in fashion (such as sustainable swimwear fabrics, where something stretchy and quick-drying is needed), we turn to their recycled alternatives.

While we wouldn't call regular nylon eco-friendly, its recycled nylon counterpart-usually called ECONYL® -is another story.

It uses synthetic waste from ocean plastic, abandoned fishing nets, and waste fabric and reforms them into recycled nylon fabric that feels exactly the same.

It's also made using a closed-loop system and doesn't require as much water.

While we're excited about recycled fabrics and all the possibilities for eco-friendly swimwear it's opened up, it still releases microplastics-meaning it's up to us as consumers to mitigate that by religiously washing these items in a Guppyfriend washing bag.

Sustainable Semi-Synthetic Fabrics (Mostly Vegan)

10. Lyocell

Of all the new sustainable fabrics, lyocell fabric has gained the most traction-and for good reason.

Technically a type of rayon fabric (which is not historically among the most eco-friendly fabrics), lyocell s a semi-synthetic or cellulosic fabric made from the wood pulp of (usually) eucalyptus trees, which don't require a lot of water and pesticides.

But not all lyocell is created equal.

Trademarked by its Austrian manufacturer Lenzing, TENCEL™ lyocell is the most sustainable option.

TENCEL™ lyocell means sourcing from sustainably-managed forests and a closed-loop production process that reuses 99.5% of the water and dissolving agents.

Since others may not use this closed-loop manufacturing process (a critical component to lyocell's sustainability), how can you tell which are sustainable fabrics?

Seek out TENCEL™ clothing brands for those who are transparent about their sourcing and manufacturing practices.

11. Modal

Modal fabric is another semi-synthetic fabric known for comfort and breathability. As an affordable silk alternative, it's a popular choice for drapey garments like fair trade dresses.

Just as lyocell is made from eucalyptus wood pulp, modal is made from beech trees.

While less wasteful and chemically-intensive than traditional rayon/ viscose production, its chemicals are more caustic than those used for lyocell manufacturing.

As with lyocell, it's not always done in a closed-loop system either, meaning again you should seek out transparent users of lyocell or opt for carbon-neutral TENCEL™ modal.

12. Bamboo Lyocell

Bamboo lyocell is also made in a closed-loop manufacturing process that reuses chemicals and water, but like regular lyocell, bamboo is not always made this way.

All bamboo viscose does inherently mean it's closed-loop bamboo lyocell.

While both require chemicals to plasticize the wood pulp into silky fibers, a closed-loop process ensures they get recycled. Bamboo lyocell also utilizes fewer toxic chemicals.

A few brands making bamboo pajamas and bamboo socks use this more sustainable way of processing, but it's important to do a double-take at transparency whenever bamboo is involved.

13. ECOVERO™

Lenzing's new sustainable fabric joining their line of semi-synthetics is ECOVERO™.

Responsible for 50% fewer carbon emissions and water use than standard viscose, these fibers come from varied sustainable wood and pulp sources and meet the highest environmental standards.

As with anything TENCEL™, you can rest assured it was made using closed-loop processes.

14. Piñatex

Cactus leather is not the only prickly plant fibre on this list. Piñatex, a creation of the sustainable fabrics supplier Ananas Anam, uses pineapples to create a cruelty-free replacement for leather.

Not only that, but it's a food industry byproduct, made from scrap pineapple leaves that are otherwise burned.

Piñatex in its best sustainable fabric form utilizes wood-based PLA resins to add durability (meaning the whole thing can biodegrade), but some brands cover Piñatex with non-biodegradable resins to be avoided if possible.

15. Bananatex®

An award-winning new kid on the plant pulp fabric block, Bananatex® has the potential to become one of the best sustainable fabrics if widely adopted.

It starts with byproduct stalks of organically-grown Abacá banana plants grown in the Philippine highlands. They're not only self-sufficient plants, but are used to reforest and increase biodiversity in areas previously damaged by monoculture palm oil plantations.

Unlike some of the other plant-based vegan leathers that still use plastic coatings to waterproof, Bananatex® uses only beeswax.

If you doubt its positive end-of-life prospects, its Cradle to Cradle® Gold certification can allay those fears.

The dyeing process is OEKO-TEX certified, too.

16. SCOBY Leather

Kombucha drinkers, rejoice!

Those otherworldly floaties at the bottom of your 'booch bottle provide a sustainable alternative to leather.

Kombucha is fermented using a mass of live cultures called SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast), and that same mushy gob can be turned into leather.

Laid on a mold, the SCOBY leather dries and becomes something that can be transformed into tea-based shoes, wallets, and clothes. SCOBY leather doesn't require animals, is biodegradable and compostable, requires zero heavy metals and other tanning chemicals, and is significantly cheaper than genuine leather.

17. S.Cafe®

That cup of zero waste coffee can go a little further with S.Cafe®.

The process involves turning used coffee grounds into sustainable yarn that dries quickly and provides natural UV protection.

The only downside is that you may smell like a latte all day-and is that really a downside?

18. Brewed Protein

Japan's Spiber Inc. is at the forefront of the sustainable fabrics industry.

Take Brewed Protein, for example, a silky protein fiber resulting from fermenting plant-derived (sugarcane) biomass.

Its versatility is one of its sustainable strong suits, as it can be processed into fine silk-like strands, cashmere-like yarns, fleece, denim, fur or leather alternatives, or hardened into a resin similar to that of a tortoise shell.

Aside from the wide applications, it bears the sustainable sugarcane Bonsucro certification, is completely biodegradable, and produces fewer greenhouse gasses than comparable animal-derived protein fibers.

The polymers are also produced as a remediating cover crop in the US, specifically in areas of intensive agricultural overproduction and soil degradation.

Since it's so new, you likely won't find it in too many places, though Spiber has collaborated with The North Face to create The Moon Parka.

19. Apple Leather

Apple Leather (sometimes called Frutmat or Pellemela) is made from a waste materials of the apple juice industry.

On its own (beware of added coatings), it's fully biodegradable, as well as waterproof, breathable, and one of the most durable sustainable fabrics.

That's why you'll pretty much only find it in high-wear items like eco-friendly handbags, wallets, and sustainable sneakers.

20. Woocoa

Plant-based vegan wool may be the future of sustainable materials.

Woocoa is one of these, made from hemp, coconut fibers, and mushroom enzymes.

While this one isn't widely available yet, it's part of a growing trend. Mushrooms have made it into a lot of sustainable vegan fabrics, so stay tuned for more fungi fashion.

22. QMilk

QMilk has been self-proclaimed to be the "material of the future"-and it sure sounds pretty futuristic!

It uses casein (a milk protein sourced as a byproduct of the dairy industry) to make a non-vegan environmentally friendly fabric that's compostable, flame retardant, and silky smooth.

Natural Animal Fabrics (Non-Vegan, Sustainable Depending On Source)

They are mostly vegetarian (except for leather) but not vegan. We understand that many reading this would opt for the fabrics above-power to you!

However, we also recognize the complexity and impact of these materials on communities around the world. In addition to being largely biodegradable in their pure forms, many rural and artisanal communities rely on the income they receive from materials on the list below.

For us, it feels important to continue to support these communities as long as we can get adequate comfort around the treatment of the animals in their care.

Read more about sourcing cashmere and Yak Wool from Tibet for a good perspective on this.

23. Sheep Wool

Wool is a natural fiber with many of the benefits of petroleum-based synthetics-like its moisture-wicking ability and temperature regulation-making it one of the most common fabrics in sustainable outdoor clothing.

It's a durable fabric that biodegrades naturally and doesn't require a lot of chemicals during the processing stage. Because it accepts dyes easily, chemical use can actually be omitted in favor of natural, sustainable dyes.

However, most animal agriculture has been associated with environmental degradation and land clearing-and this includes operations that raise sheep for wool.

On the other hand, sheep farming is part of a growing world of regenerative agriculture in which sheep are not only raised to have minimal negative environmental impact, but in such a way that they can actually benefit it.

Still, sustainable practices alone don't allay animal welfare and ethical concerns associated with wool production.

While some believe ethical wool isn't achievable, we believe it is, but it's a really high bar. Always always always look for relevant certifications and animal welfare policies at the bare minimum.

24. Merino Wool

Merino sheep are different from other types of sheep in that they have wrinkly skin, which means more wool.

A lot of the world's merino wool comes from Australia, and many operations use a gruesome procedure called " mulesing ".

Ethical merino does exist, especially if sourced from New Zealand where mulesing is prohibited.

Don't be sheepish about asking brands for sourcing practices.

27. Camel Wool

What are the best sustainable fabrics derived from animals?

Camel wool is on the list. Where animal welfare is a concern with other types of wool, there have been less reported cases with camels.

The type of camel used, the Bactrian camel, sheds naturally, meaning the potential for pain for the camel is reduced.

These camels are typically raised by small-scale, family farmers, which also contributes to less environmental damage.

Camel wool is biodegradable and doesn't require dyes or chemicals during processing. Unfortunately, it's rare to find even among brands using the most eco-friendly fabrics.

29. Upcycled Or Vegetable Tanned Leather

Traditional leather uses the skin of animals, and has rightfully been criticized for both environmental and ethical reasons.

Leather comes either from killing 1 billion animals per year for its own sake or from the meat industry as a byproduct (like much of the fish leather industry)-which is better, but still not great since the meat industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and unethical treatment of animals.

Then, the tanning process requires around 250 chemicals and heavy metals (arsenic and cyanide among them), which is equally bad for the earth as the tannery workers.

Only one real sustainable option exists.

Upcycled leather is the only legitimate ethical leather, since it means making the best of a material that's already done its damage.

If choosing virgin leather, make sure the skins are sourced as a byproduct and that they're tanned using vegetable-based substances (or chrome-free ones at the very least).

While a more sustainable alternative, vegetable tanned leather isn't perfect because it takes a long time to biodegrade (despite the fact that it's a natural fiber).

31. Peace Silk

Silk-so soft the material name is used as an adjective.

It not only feels great on the skin, but is good for it thanks to antibacterial properties. Being compostable, it's also good for the planet.

It's produced by either wild silkworms, or, in most cases, domesticated silkworms. In theory, silk production shouldn't harm the worms, but in some cases they end up dying as a result.

Sericulture (AKA the silk industry) has also been associated with slave labor.

Some brands are experimenting with silk made of yeast, sugar, and water, but until this becomes a more viable option, peace silk is the more sustainable alternative to conventional silk.

Peace Silk uses a humane type of sericulture and verifies its production under the World Fair Trade Organization Guarantee system.

Also known as Ahimsa silk, the nonviolent production process allows the silkworm to live a natural and humane life and eventually evolve into a butterfly-after which the silk is harvested.

The silkworms are bred under natural conditions (with no fungicides, sprays, or insecticides) and are able to emerge on their own and carry on with their lives.

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Final Thoughts On Our Eco-Friendly Clothing Fabrics

Unsustainable fashion is in a large part the result of poor fabric choice.

Many materials that make it into our clothes harm humans, animals, or the world we inhabit-usually all of the above.

But the future of sustainable fabrics is bright

Between natural fibers, sustainable synthetic fibers, and funky futuristic fibers, the best sustainable clothing brands are continuously experimenting with sustainable textiles-both new and old.

Encourage them by filling your minimalist wardrobe with garments made of this list of sustainable materials.

Don't forget to share this article with any slow fashion-forward friends wondering, "What are the best sustainable fabrics?" to keep this momentum going

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31 Sustainable Fabrics For The Most Eco-Friendly Fashion

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Is your clothing eco-friendly? To help you answer that question, we've identified the most sustainable fabrics because materials matter more than...

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Eco-friendly and sustainable fabrics Research

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Report Card Evaluates Sustainable Fabrics - Arcus

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Rayon and viscose fabrics pose serious risks to conservation efforts. This report highlights clothing companies' sustainability efforts. Download Report The Hot Button IssueRelated Posts Apr 1 2014 Best Models and Practices ...

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Solutions for clients to interact with fabrics and pieces virtually - Visual fitting room

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Solutions for clients to interact with fabrics and pieces virtually - Visual fitting room

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Abstract

Virtual Dressing Room (VDR) is the popular topics during the past 10 years and it seemed to have the bright future when Microsoft's Kinect tracking system appeared in the market. The VDR is not only helping the online customer making decision on buying apparels but also helping customers in department store to save time in waiting for the fitting room. In facts, there are few parts of VDR that make virtual fitting more realistic and tracking the movement of the body is only one of them. The other parts are dealing with the clothing and how they interact with the body even when the customer moves around. The virtual fitting rooms available in the market today and on the website used 2D dresses putting in front of the body. These dresses did not fit on the body and did not interact with the body except they were appeared on the front part of the body. In order to make the simulation process of the virtual fitting room more realistic, 3D virtual dress will be used along with the physical interaction of the fabrics and the environment. In this research, we have to define the shape of the 3D dress and the physical properties of the fabrics. Since the dress did not come as one piece of fabrics but composed of many pieces with different textures and physical properties, for example, some parts is thicker than others or made with different materials, so all these issues have to be taken into account. In this research, the interaction occurred between fabric and the environment were calculated and applied. This covered all of the interactions occurred on the fabrics such as stretching, bending, damping, accelerating, colliding and gravity pulling. The simulation results can tell the difference among customers wearing jean, satin, silk or cotton. In this research, Unity 3D game engine was used for simulation process along with Maya for model creation and Microsoft's Kinect2 was used for tracking the dress and the body.

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Realistic Simulation in Virtual Fitting Room Using Physical Properties of Fabrics

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Virtual Dressing Room (VDR) is the popular topics during the past 10 years and it seemed to have the bright future when Microsoft's Kinect tracking system appeared in the market. The VDR is not only helping the online customer making decision on buying apparels but also helping customers in department store to save time in waiting for the fitting room.

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Solutions for clients to interact with fabrics and pieces virtually 

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Solutions for clients to interact with fabrics and pieces virtually 

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Virtual Try-On Is More Than A Pandemic Trend And These Brands Are Reaping The Rewards

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The demand of AR and AI try-on is higher than ever, and fashion and beauty brands are reaping the rewards.

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Solutions for clients to interact with fabrics and pieces virtually - Visual fitting room

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Solutions for clients to interact with fabrics and pieces virtually - Visual fitting room

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Maksym Tatariants,
Data Science Engineer at MobiDev

I hate shopping in brick and mortar stores. However, my interest in virtual shopping is not limited to the buyer experience only. With the MobiDev DataScience department, I've gained experience in working on AI technologies for virtual fitting. The goal of this article is to describe how these systems work from the inside.

How Virtual Fitting Technology Works

A few years ago, the "Try before you buy" strategy was an efficient customer engagement method in outfit stores. Now, this strategy exists in the form of virtual fitting rooms. Fortune Business Insights predicted that the virtual fitting room market size is expected to reach USD 10.00 billion by 2027.

To better understand the logic of virtual fitting room technology, let's review the following example. Some time ago, we had a project of Augmented Reality (AR) footwear fitting room development. The fitting room works in the following way:

1. The input video is split into frames and processed with a deep learning model which estimates the position of a set of specific leg and feet keypoints. Read the related article: 3D Human Pose Estimation in Fitness Coach Apps

2. A 3D model of footwear is placed according to the detected keypoints to display the orientation to a user naturally.

3. A 3D footwear model is rendered so that each frame displays realistic textures and lighting.

Utilization of ARKit for 3D human body pose estimation and 3D model rendering
When working with (Augmented Reality framework for Apple's devices) we discovered that it has rendering limitations. As you can see from the video above, the tracking accuracy is too low to use it for footwear positioning. The cause of this limitation may be the maintenance of the inference speed while neglecting the tracking accuracy, which might be critical for apps working in real-time.

One more issue was the poor identification of body parts by the ARKit algorithm. Since this algorithm is aimed to identify the whole body, it doesn't detect any keypoints if the processed image contains only a part of the body. It is exactly the case of a footwear fitting room when the algorithm is supposed to process only a person's legs.

The conclusion was that virtual fitting room apps might require additional functionality along with the standard AR libraries. Thus, it's recommended to involve data scientists for developing a custom pose estimation model supposed to detect keypoints on only one or two feet in the frame and operate in real-time.

Virtual Fitting Room Solutions

The virtual fitting room technology market provides offerings for accessories, watches, glasses, hats, clothes, and others. Let's review how some of these solutions work under the hood.

A good example of virtual watches try-on is the AR-Watches app allowing users to try on various watches. The solution is based on the ARTag technology utilizing specific markers printed on a band, which should be worn on a user's wrist in place of a watch in order to start a virtual try-on the watch. The computer vision algorithm processes only those markers visible in the frame and identifies the camera's position in relation to them. After that, to render a 3D object correctly, the virtual camera should be placed at the same location.

Overall, technology has its limits (for instance, not everybody has a printer at hand to print out the ARTag band). But if it matches the business use case, it wouldn't be that difficult to create a product with a production-ready quality. Probably, the most important part would be to create proper 3D objects to use.

Wanna Kicks and SneakerKit apps are a good demonstration of how AR and deep learning technologies might be applied for footwear.

Virtual shoes try-on, Wanna Kick app ( source)

Once positions of 3D keypoints of feet are detected, they can be utilized for creating a parametric 3D model of a human foot, and positioning & scaling of a footwear 3D model according to the geometric properties of the parametric model.

Compared to the full-body/face pose estimation model, foot pose estimation still has certain challenges. The main issue is the lack of 3D annotation data required for model training.

However, the optimal way to avoid this problem is to use the synthetic data which supposes rendering of photorealistic 3D human feet models with keypoints and training a model with that data; or to use photogrammetry which supposes the reconstruction of a 3D scene from multiple 2D views to decrease the number of labeling needs .

This kind of solution is way more complicated. In order to enter the market with a ready-to-use product, it is required to collect a large enough foot keypoint dataset (either using synthetic data, photogrammetry, or a combination of both), train a customized pose estimation model (that would combine both high enough accuracy and inference speed), test its robustness in various conditions and create a foot model. We consider it a medium complexity project in terms of technologies.

FittingBox and companies considered AR technology for the virtual glasses try-on. The user should choose a glasses model from a virtual catalog and it is put on his/her eyes.

This solution is based on the deep learning-powered pose estimation approach utilized for facial landmarks detection, where the common annotation format includes 68 2D/3D facial landmarks .

Such an annotation format allows the differentiation of face contour, nose, eyes, eyebrows, and lips with a sufficient accuracy level. The data for training the face landmark estimation model might be taken from such open-source libraries as Face Alignment , providing face pose estimation functionality out-of-the-box.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, launched the AR-based educational aimed to instruct users on how to wear surgical masks properly. Technically, this app is also based on a 3D facial landmark detection method. Like the glasses try-on app, this method allows receiving information about facial features and further mask rendering.

Given the fact that facial landmark detection models work well, another frequently simulated AR item is hats. Everything required for correct rendering of a hat on the person's head is the 3D coordinates of several keypoints indicating temples and the location of a forehead center. The virtual hats try-on apps have already been launched by , , and .

Compared to shoes, masks, glasses, and watches, virtual try-on 3D clothes still remain a challenge. The reason is that clothes are deformed when taking the shape of a person's body. Thus, for proper AR experience, a deep learning model should identify not only basic keypoints on the human body's joints but also the body shape in 3D.

Strictly speaking, the method of 2D clothes images transferring cannot be considered as Augmented Reality, since the "Reality" aspect implies the real-time operation, however, it still can provide an unusual and immersive user experience. The behind technologies comprise Generative Adversarial Networks , Human Pose Estimation , and Human Parsing models. The 2D clothes transferring algorithm may look as follows:

1. Identification of areas in the image corresponding to the individual body parts

2. Detection of the position for identified body parts

3. Producing of a warped image of a transferred clothing

4. Application of a warped image to the image of a person with the minimum produced artifacts

Our Experiments with 2D Cloth Transfering

Since there are no ready pre-trained models for the virtual dressing room we researched this field experimenting with the ACGPN model . The idea was to explore outputs of this model in practice for 2D cloth transferring by utilizing various approaches.

The model was applied to people's images in constrained (samples from the training dataset, VITON) and unconstrained (any environment) conditions. In addition, we tested the limits of the model's capabilities by not only running it on custom persons' images but also using custom clothing images that were quite different from the training data.

Here are examples of results we received during the research:

1. Replication of results described in the " Towards Photo-Realistic Virtual Try-On by Adaptively GeneratingPreserving ↔ Image Content " research paper, with the original data and our preprocessing models:

Successful (A1-A3) and unsuccessful (B1-B3) replacement of clothing

2. Application of custom clothes to default person images:

Clothing replacement using custom clothes

3. Application of default clothes to the custom person images:

Outputs of clothing replacement on images with an unconstrained environment

4. Application of custom clothes to the custom person images:

Clothing replacement with the unconstrained environment and custom clothing images

When analyzing the outputs, we discovered that virtual clothes try on still has certain limitations. The point is the training data should contain paired images of the target cloth, and people wearing this cloth. If given a real-world business scenario, it may be challenging to accomplish. The other takeaways from the research are:

The ACGPN model outputs rather good results on the images of people from the training dataset. It is also true if custom clothing items are applied.

The model is unstable when it comes to processing the images of people captured in varying lighting, other environmental conditions, and unusual poses.

The technology for creating virtual dressing room systems for transferring 2D clothing images onto the image of the target person in the wild is not yet ready for commercial applications. However, if the conditions are static, the expected results can be much better.

The main limiting factor that holds back the development of better models is the lack of diverse datasets with people captured in outdoor conditions.

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AR & AI Technologies For a Virtual Fitting Room Development

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Maksym Tatariants, Data Science Engineer at MobiDev I hate shopping in brick and mortar stores. However, my interest in virtual shopping is not limited to the buyer experience only. With the MobiDev DataScience department, I've gained experience in working on AI technologies for virtual fitting.

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Imagine a world where your clothes are made of pixels rather than textiles.

One in three women considers a piece of clothing "old" after one or two wears¹.

Fast fashion is popularizing the idea that great style is synonymous with new outfits. Social media reinforces this mentality, with one in six young people claiming they won't rewear an outfit if it's been seen online².

Enter digital fashion.

Thanks to emerging technologies, you could have all the latest and greatest fashion trends in your closet.

Your virtual closet, that is.

Digital clothes, made from pixels instead of textiles, are gaining popularity³.

In real life, you could have a minimalist capsule wardrobe. Meanwhile, on social media, your digital self could be expressive with hundreds of new clothing items.

In short, you get the best of both worlds.

On its surface, digital fashion may seem like something from the future. Yet, curating our digital appearance is already a big part of everyone's life. From cultivating an Instagram aesthetic to putting your best foot forward on LinkedIn, we are thoughtful about our online impressions.

(Hopefully!)

For gamers, digital fashion takes the form of "skins": outfits and weapons that decorate the in-game avatars. On Fortnite, a typical skin costs between $2 and $20 USD⁴. The skins are just for the aesthetic and do not impact the player's abilities, illustrating a market for virtual self-expression.

Some of the rarest and most exclusive skins, like the Skull Trooper Skin, are resold online for thousands of dollars⁵.

Experts predict the market for "skins" in video games will hit $50 billion USD by 202²⁶.

Experts predict the market for "skins" in video games will hit $50 billion USD by 2022 (Courtesy of Fortnite)

Louis Vuitton and League of Legends: an Unlikely Partnership

In 2019, the luxury brand, Louis Vuitton, designed a series of skins for League of Legends, a popular multiplayer game⁷. Following its digital release, Louis Vuitton created real-life pieces to compliment the skin collection.

To everyone's surprise, the once-nerdy world of esports has been infiltrated by high fashion.

Photo by Francois Le Nguyen on Unsplash

1. Digital Fashion is a Sustainable Solution to Fast Fashion

Eight to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the fashion industry¹³.

Nearly three-fifths of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within years of being made¹⁴.

Digital clothing allows consumers to live out their fast fashion fantasies while drastically reducing the environmental impact.

When you buy a piece of digital clothing, you aren't just reducing the impact of that one t-shirt. You are also reducing waste generated during the design and sampling process. The firm, Dress-X, claims that the total carbon footprint of producing one digital item is 95% less than an average physical garment¹⁵.

Even large retailers with physical products can benefit from digital fashion without changing their product offerings. For example, PUMA partnered with The Fabricant to create a capsule collection, 'Day Zero', that had a low environmental impact¹⁶. For this campaign, PUMA created a digital proof of concept that eliminated the need for sampling, handling, traveling, and other logistics. Once the proof of concept was perfected, they produced and sold the physical product.

2. Digital Fashion Reduces Production Costs and the Time to Market

By adapting their product innovation process, PUMA reduced their water usage by up to 17.4% for this collection¹⁷. PUMA also reduced their time to market and costs by 30%.

3. It's Body and Gender Inclusive

Digital fashion promotes the idea that anyone, regardless of body type, size, or gender, can wear anything. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "one size fits all."

The majority of, if not all, digital fashion brands provide genderless, and sizeless pieces. Digital clothing can truly be universal.

Creative and perhaps, gravity-defying digital shoes (Courtesy of Happy99)

4. It Provides Endless Possibilities for Creative Self-Expression

Digital designers are not limited by silly things like gravity and physics. Designers can experiment with materials and textures.

"Within the digital world, we can go completely crazy. We can wear a dress made of water or have lights everywhere and change your textile according to your mood," says Amber Slooten, the co-founder of The Fabricant¹⁸.

Ultimately, this opens the door for more self-expression. You could find pieces that reflect a more abstract version of how you wish to be seen.

Screen capture of Dress-X's website (Courtesy of Dress-X)

The Technology Isn't Quite There... Yet!

At the moment, digital fashion firms rely on employees digitally fitting the outfits to a client's photo. This process of "digital dressing" typically uses 3D modelling software. Some firms use CGI software to digitally edit or "fit" the clothes onto the customer.

"The technology, in general, is not there yet to recognize a body to implement [digital dressing]," explains Natalia Modenova, the co-founder of Dress-X¹⁹. "The AI is not there to entirely automate this process."

Digital dressing is by no means instantaneous. For example, it takes the firm Tribute between three and five hours to customize the digital garment to one's photo.

However, technology will quickly improve.

Think of how bad those first few Snapchat filters were.

I'm excited for the day where you can stream a video while wearing a digital outfit.

It's Expensive

It's already hard to justify buying an expensive piece of clothing that you can wear in real life. If it wasn't, exploitive and unsustainable fast fashion wouldn't be popular.

(I'm as guilty as anybody for indulging in fast fashion, so no judgment!)

In general, we undervalue digital goods. One study found we're only willing to pay $1 for a digital photo, yet we'll pay $3 for a physical image²⁰. Another study found we are willing to pay more for a physical copy of a book ($9.59 on average) than a digital version ($6.94)²¹.

You may think the average person is not going to buy clothing that they can't actually wear.

Yet, once you consider the potential price of the digital item, this may change.

You may not spend $40 on a digital top, but you might spend $5.

Remember, there is a proven market for digital fashion...

Yes, gamers buy skins for their in-game avatars.

(As I said, it's expected to be a $50 billion USD industry.)

But, gamers are not alone. Members of Zwift, an indoor cycling app, use the in-game currency to purchase biking gear for their digital avatars²². These brand-loyal cyclists often want their digital selves to use the same brands and products that they use in real life.

Zwift provides its cyclists with the ability to customize their avatar with their favourite brands (Courtesy of Zwift)

It is undoubtedly a bizarre idea.

Having a digital wardrobe is something straight out of a sci-fi movie.

However, the same thing was said when our parents fantasized about calling their friends through their wristwatches. Today, there's a whole industry of smartwatches that connect people across the globe.

While I don't plan on switching to an entirely virtual wardrobe anytime soon, the concept of digital fashion has caught my attention.

I see my online persona as an extension of myself.

As a way of curating how I want to be seen.

I am most excited about the possibilities digital fashion provides for self-expression and sustainability.

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Why Digital Clothing is 2021's Most Exciting Tech Trend

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Imagine a world where your clothes are made of pixels rather than textiles. One in three women considers a piece of clothing "old" after one or two wears¹. Fast fashion is popularizing the idea that great style is synonymous with new outfits.

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Understanding Fashion's New Digital Frontier 

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Understanding Fashion's New Digital Frontier 

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The Interline’s partner in this piece, z-emotion, from the brands that use its suite of 3D solutions, indicate that consumers who see a 3D asset rather than a flat image of a product are 44% more likely to add it to their cart, and are nearly 30% more likely to purchase it.  This figure rises to a 65% increase in conversion when the shopper can visualise and interact with a product in AR.

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Fashion has come a long way with 3D. The instant impact of the pandemic brought digital product creation to the front of investment strategies in a hurry, but even pre-COVID brands and their suppliers had already taken some big strides. Physical samples were routinely being replaced with 3D assets for the purposes of prototyping and fit simulation. Designers were being empowered to change materials, components, and trims on the fly, and to see instantaneous results. Merchandising and retail teams were planning assortments in virtual spaces, and eCommerce catalogues were increasingly being populated with renders that could be indistinguishable from genuine product photography.

But as far as each of these individual areas has come, fashion has yet to reckon with the implications of becoming a digital industry - not just a physical industry with digital back-end processes, but a sector that outputs digital goods. And as much value as the industry has been able to obtain from the use of 3D in design, pattern development, supplier collaboration and virtual photography, these discrete applications of 3D could be approaching the point of diminishing returns - especially when we compare them to the gigantic possibility space that truly digital fashion offers.

To look at it another way, 3D initiatives have so far been focused on delivering physical fashion faster - streamlining in-house and supply chain processes - and more sustainably. The next step is to also apply the same simulation engines, the same tools, processes, and workflows to a different output - one that's wholly or partly digital.
Why digital fashion developed so quickly.
The concept of digital fashion can conjure up scepticism. As proven as the market for videogame cosmetic items is - a conservative, pre-pandemic estimate has it pegged at $50 billion by next year - brands might see selling digital versions of their clothes, to be worn by player avatars or, in augmented reality applications, by the buyer themselves, to be a distraction from their core business and the way they currently make money.

Similarly, the success of virtual makeup (a more literal sort of digital cosmetic) during periods of enforced remote working could easily be pigeonholed as a timely marketing exercise and nothing more.

Anyone who shares either concern could easily ask whether digital fashion, and the much-vaunted Metaverse, is a passing obsession destined to end now that physical products are starting to flow again, or an attempt by fashion to clutch at straws as COVID threatened the industry's survival.

It's important to understand that nobody expects the fashion industry to stop making physical garments. Although the past eighteen months have obviously seen dramatic disruptions to how and where shoppers make their purchases - with six years' worth of eCommerce growth crammed into 2020 alone - every demographic is still buying clothes. And while younger shoppers are leaning into sustainability in a serious way, evidence from this spring and summer suggests that even Generation Z consumers find it hard to resist the allure of low-cost fashions, because they no longer remember a world without " plentiful, cheaply produced clothes ".

This matters because, as of last year, Gen Z shoppers make up close to half of the global consumer base, with around $150 billion in spending power. These are, to put it bluntly, the consumers of today, not a target market for an indeterminate point in the future. And they are accustomed to variety, volume, and high-velocity gratification - even when, on the face of it, those things go against their principles.

Unsurprisingly, these are also the shoppers who are driving the downstream digitisation of fashion commerce. A significant portion of the overall eCommerce market in the United States now originates from a mobile device, and close to a third of younger consumers want online shopping to incorporate more augmented and virtual reality experiential elements.

Brands who respond to these trends are seeing results: statistics gathered by The Interline 's partner in this piece, , from the brands that use its suite of 3D solutions, indicate that consumers who see a 3D asset rather than a flat image of a product are 44% more likely to add it to their cart, and are nearly 30% more likely to purchase it. This figure rises to a 65% increase in conversion when the shopper can visualise and interact with a product in AR.

The world's analysts are also taking note: a detailed report written by PWC in 2019 suggests that VR and AR applications (which rely on 3D assets) could add $1.5 trillion to the global economy before the decade is over. And the simple act of having products to sell and experiences to partake in online determined a very different fortune for digital-native retailers at a time when their counterparts who were tied to shuttered physical stores were struggling to tread water.

As with many pre-pandemic predictions, the unforeseen, sudden shift to digital channels and experiences caused by COVID is likely to have made even these bold estimates seem conservative. Digitisation is happening faster and more comprehensively than ever, and as the pandemic begins to fade into the background, one of the most critical challenges facing any industry (fashion included) will be maintaining that momentum.

Here is where the real opportunity of fashion having a truly digital output opens up. The pandemic demonstrated the power of having digital channels to sell physical garments, but what if brands could cater to Generation Z's desire for newness and self expression through new all-digital channels with exclusively digital products?

This is the core principle behind digital fashion, which we can define simply as the sale (or free distribution) of digital garments intended to be worn in digital settings. Those settings might be augmented versions of real life, using real-time body projection mapping to allow a user to "wear" a garment in an Instagram or Snapchat story, or in a future AR application. They might be more stylised scenarios, where garments are intended to be worn by avatars and player characters in interactive experiences and videogames.

Both use cases have their roots in the same place: the design and development of garments in digital formats, using digital tools. And this is an area where, as we've established, fashion has already made real progress, prototyping, simulating, refining, and even selling products before they become physical. The key difference with digital fashion is that those products are never intended to become physical (or at least not exclusively), and this seemingly-simple distinction opens up a world of possibilities as well as the pressing question of whether fashion's existing 3D solutions are ready to deliver digital end products - which is something we'll circle back to shortly.

Crucially, right here, right now, the fashion industry is already forging ahead to meet consumers at the new digital frontier. One-off digital garments to be worn in AR are a reality, and the fashion industry has just seen an incredibly high profile collaboration between one of the world's most recognisable luxury brands, and the cross-media platform Fornite, which has long since transcended its roots in gaming. Today, consumers can already buy digital versions of luxury goods, designed to fit in-universe characters, and, for those shoppers who can access them, physical counterparts of those garments as well.

In the shadow of the headlines that collaboration has created, even brands who might once have dismissed digital fashion are taking notice again. More importantly, brands who already create in 3D, conduct line reviews in 3D, send 3D files to their suppliers, and promote new products to shoppers in 3D, are asking themselves how they take their styles from those discrete use cases and bring them to one of the biggest interactive worlds there is, and the splashiest advertising spaces the world's capitals have to offer.

Same inputs; different output.
What those brands - and the industry as a whole - need is a way to create a new output from the same set of inputs. So for digital fashion to truly make sense as a revenue stream, brands will need to be able to rely on the 3D tools and talent they have already built to streamline the creation of physical garments, rather than being required to build new processes from scratch.

This is a problem that The Interline our partner, , believe can be tackled in two stages - part-digital and all-digital - which can each extend the value of pre-existing solutions, integrations, and in-house expertise at the same time as capitalising on the chance to create entirely new experiences for consumers.

What is a part-digital experience? A way of extending the power of 3D simulation and digital assets to the end user in an interactive way. Unlike virtual photography, where the brand is working with 3D assets and a 3D scene but delivering a static end result, a part-digital experience would allow the customer to make active use of the digital garment prior to purchasing its physical counterpart.

A strong example of a part-digital experience would be z-emotion's z.one virtual fitting engine, which was recently deployed by South Korean brand Covernat to achieve a 300% uplift in conversation rates, a 12X increase in product exposure, and a significant decrease in return rates. Unlike a traditional eCommerce application of 3D, where the consumer would be limited to rotating a pre-rendered .OBJ file alongside a set of fit guidelines, z-emotion's approach allows the customer to adjust various data points to set their height, weight, body type and key measurements, and then visualises garment tension and pressure in a way that the shopper can clearly understand.

This is, in essence, a dynamic experience that replaces a static one and engages the consumer in a digital native way. Crucially, it also permits the shopper to make adjustments on the fly, swapping colourways and adjusting their avatar in real-time, and seeing how those changes will be reflected in the end result. This is a level of interactivity and insight that was previously reserved for behind-the-scenes brand users of 3D, now extended to give the shopper the utmost confidence in their buying decisions.

Crucially, for the brand, this confidence can be enabled without the need to create any new asset - instead enabling a new audience to interact with existing assets in a novel way by extending the technology ecosystem.

The same principles also underpin all-digital applications. Just as a shopper can create and drape an avatar for the purposes of simulating and testing the fit of a physical product, a consumer can clothe a more detailed (or more stylised) avatar in a garment that will be sold in digital-only form. And in both cases the garment can - with the support of the right technology ecosystem - be seamlessly ported from the design tool it was created in to the digital representation of the customer who's buying it.

This is a workflow that z-emotion is now preparing to showcase with one of the largest virtual social spaces and Metaverses in the Asian market. In the near future, designers will be able to create styles in z-emotion's widely-used Z-Weave design and patternmaking tool, and then to export these styles directly for hyper-stylised personal avatars - neatly capturing the power of generating new outputs without changing the input. Those styles will then be able to be freely distributed as part of a promotional strategy, or sold for a fraction of the cost of the physical garment, for users to wear in the virtual world.

But this upcoming partnership is by no means the only Metaverse out there, which is why z-emotion has also built similar export paths for the Unreal Engine, and for the most popular computer modelling application, Maya. This additional flexibility is geared towards allowing brands the ability to target consumers in nearly any real-time application, and with the digital fashion market predicted to grow more than 11% per year to nearly 5 billion users by 2025, there are going to be a lot of different Metaverse applications to reach them in - across various different global markets.
Moving fashion forward.
The Interline now firmly believes that the initial phase of fashion's adoption of 3D is finished, at least insofar as its shape and scope is well-defined, with established best practices, clear value propositions, mature technology, and the ability for new brands and retailers to follow in the pioneers' footsteps.

Now, as the idea of a Metaverse crystallises more rapidly than even the boldest predictions, the next phase is already upon us. Beyond using digital assets as aids for physical product design, development, and marketing, fashion has the opportunity to make use of those same assets in everything from part-digital consumer experiences to promotion and revenue generation from virtual worlds.

But this is not a transition that fashion should take lightly. Whether a brand is looking to create photoreal digital garments for use in augmented reality, or stylised versions of existing products for integration into a videogame franchise or virtual world, it will find itself up against the best that other, longer-established digital industries have to offer.

As the industry prepares for this transition, becoming a digital industry in earnest, there is a clear requirement for workflows and pipelines that can support brand and retail businesses in their digital ambitions. Until recently, those workflows have been exclusively homegrown. Despite the industry's progress with 3D in individual areas, there has been no clear pathway from initial digital design to final digital output.

This pathway is precisely what z-emotion set out to create, with seamless integrations between its 3D design and pattern simulation tools, its consumer-facing virtual fit engine, and the most common real-time engines used in digital marketing, interactive experiences, videogames, and more. After identifying a real concern among brands that the work they had put into implementing and scaling 3D might not translate into the ability to capitalise on the new digital frontier, z-emotion zeroed in on continuity - aiming to give fashion the ability to tweak 2D patterns and adjust fit in a 3D simulation, and then to take the same assets and push them to a wide range of digital use cases without rework or interpretation.

This vision for a more seamless digital future was compelling enough to attract investment in z-emotion from LG Electronics and other major names - all of whom share the belief, as The Interline does, that the more effectively fashion can become a digital industry, the more futureproof and profitable it can become.

And for brands and retailers that have seen more disruption in the past two years than at any almost any point prior, the possibility of creating digital outputs - and being able to target all the opportunities they bring - without reinventing the creative and technical inputs they have already spent years digitising will feel like a fast-track to the new digital frontier.

About our partner: z-emotion provides innovative 3D based digital solutions to help the fashion industry forward its digital transformation process. Based in South Korea with offices in Seoul and Hong Kong, z-emotion is a team with global talents over Asia, US and Europe. Over multiple rounds of product success, renowned strategic investors LG Electronics, Naver, VIVEX HTC and Shima Seiki also joined the exciting investment journey.

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A Different 3D Output: Understanding Fashion's New Digital Frontier - The Interline

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Fashion has come a long way with 3D. The instant impact of the pandemic brought digital product creation to the front of investment strategies in a hurry, but even pre-COVID brands and their suppliers had already taken some big strides. Physical samples were routinely being replaced with 3D assets for the purposes of prototyping and fit simulation.

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The project of using 3D technology with fashion show

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The project of using 3D technology with fashion show

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The Fabric of Reality - An Immersive VR Fashion Show | Fashion Innovation Agency

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The Fabric of Reality, a fully immersive fashion show, was launched within the virtual Museum of Other Realities (MOR) in collaboration with RYOT, Verizon Media's storytelling production house, and Kaleidoscope. The experience was the first of its kind; a virtual reality fashion exhibition aimed at taking audiences on a journey to explore the story and narrative behind the designers' collection.

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Prognostication is always risky. And the last two calendar years have demonstrated just how problematic it can be to try and predict the specifics of what's going to happen a few weeks from now - let alone a full twelve months. At the time I sit down to write this, it seems basically 50/50 as to whether more COVID-related movement restrictions will be brought in alongside the first cold draughts of 2022 air. And retail - along with hospitality, fitness, and a host of other industries that at least partly hinge on bringing people into physical spaces - is staring at an uncertain horizon, with the faint spectres of store closures and dramatic slumps in footfall still lurking in the wings.

If I had to guess, I'd currently lean towards optimism for the general conditions that will govern next year. There's a possibility - and it seems a logical one - that the Omicron wave of the pandemic burns bright but briefly, infecting lots of people very fast, but leading to mild disease in the majority of cases. In that scenario, new restrictions end up being either unnecessary or short-lived, and the UK, EU, and US get 2022 underway with relatively stable foundations beneath them.

There are, of course, no guarantees when it comes to COVID, and on behalf of the entire team at The Interline, I'll take this opportunity to wish everyone we reach a safe holiday season - even if its scope might have to be smaller than we'd like this year. There are better times somewhere around the corner.

Much easier to predict, though, are the general outlines of the demands that are going to be made of fashion technology in 2022. Supply chain resilience and visibility, digital fashion and interactivity, social change, cross-channel retail excellence, behind-the-scenes efficiency, and raw, brass-tacks profitability are the primary things the industry should be concerned about over the next twelve months. And each of those concerns is going to lean on technology to some degree.

But just because it's comparatively simple to paint a rough picture of where we're heading, that doesn't mean it's going to be easy to get there. The demands I've listed are going to ask a lot of solutions, services, and people, and while the fashion industry has talent and technology in abundance, the next year is set to test them both to their limits.

So as 2021 draws to a close, I want to set out what I consider to be the three big asks the industry should have from fashion technology in 2022. And of course The Interline has plans to talk about all of them - and much more - from January onwards.

Reinforcing supply chains. And redesigning them, too.

While ongoing supply chain disruption can make for some funny seasonal content, its persistent effects are going to be much less humorous. Once considered a temporary phenomenon, the hugely inflated cost of shipping physical goods from one side of the world to another could become a more permanent factor - translating into an uplift in both the cost of goods for brands and retailers, and further inflation in retail prices for shoppers.

Combine this with lasting unpredictability around when - and to what extent - different production markets are going to be affected by the pandemic again, and the previously straightforward act of getting things made and having them sent to consumers could become even more complicated than it already is. And it's worth noting that COVID's impact on sourcing and manufacturing destinations could be both direct - through factory closures, and worker shortages caused by an acute public health crisis - and indirect, as different regions struggle in different ways to recover from that acute crisis without the same social safety nets that exist in consumption markets, potentially leading to greater political upheaval.

In this context, technology is going to be asked to step in in several ways.

First as a protector: reinforcing existing supply chain relationships through objective, independently-verifiable data, by offering intuitive ways to employ established standards for good sourcing practice and fair labour, and by creating systems for two-way collaboration, co-creation, and mutual accountability.

Second as a tool for active change - not just in a social sense, although the mandate for equality is strong - but by providing a framework for reallocating certain elements of production to new methods and new locations. Digital printing, digital dyeing of threads and yarns, and smart, fully-connected cutting hardware are all completely viable tools, and new commercial models of near-shore and in-country production are already being created using them.

The flourishing of the Metaverse in fashion in 2021 happened fast. As the year draws to a close, the world's biggest brands are making acquisitions and strategic hires to steer their ships into uncharted, all-digital waters.

But despite the prominence of the Metaverse in boardroom discussion and industry analysis this year, quite what it's going to mean for the fashion industry to have a lasting, commercially-successful, and technological sustainable presence in one or more real-time worlds is still unclear.

As we enter 2022, the possibility space seems vast. And that's more than likely because it is; fashion has dipped its toes into not only one of the broader consumer technology industry's biggest new initiatives in decades, but also the pre-existing and rapidly-shifting landscape of videogames. This is, to put it bluntly, not the kind of entrance that comes without creating some major ripple effects afterwards, and as 2022 wears on, fashion brands are likely to begin asking themselves what a viable long-term Metaverse business model looks like, once the initial fervour around being able to make money from digital assets dies down.

And behind the scenes is the lingering question of whether the Metaverse, in its near-term state, can actually deliver what fashion seems to want: a universally-accessible, interoperable digital layer on the world that allows for consistency of expression and identity between different experiences. For the foreseeable future, that vision is going to remain unfulfilled for purely practical reasons, according to one of the world's premiere chipmakers.

But even though several hurdles stand in the way of the utopian vision for a single Metaverse, fashion still stands to make considerable headway in this new area in 2022, and this is going to place a significant burden on technology platforms. For brands looking to sell digital garments without changing the 3D design and simulation environments they work in, pathways will need to be built to allow existing workflows to serve new, all-digital markets. And for shoppers that want to buy and wear digital fashions in the real-time worlds, experiences, and games they already occupy, greater portability of those assets will need to accompany a far more intuitive, turnkey process of purchase and ownership.

All of these things are within the fashion industry's grasp, but next year and beyond, technology still has some real heavy-lifting to do.

Prioritising profitability.

For all the excitement that surrounds new possibilities like digital fashion, there's something much more prosaic that technology will be asked to do in 2022: maximise the profit margin that suppliers and their brand customers are able to make on each individual unit.

Whether the more positive pandemic-related outlook for next year is realised or not, it seems inevitable that businesses of all shapes and sizes will be asked to make difficult choices - and potentially compromises - in how they bring products to market. Chief among those will be which products to introduce in the first place - a multi-faceted decision that will be driven not just by trend, or raw material price, or environmental impact, but by a complex set of variables that ultimately determine whether or not there's sufficient money to be made in creating something.

Creating actionable insights from that combination of factors is set to be one of the most prominent use cases for technology in 2022, with the market for retail intelligence platforms likely to explode as brand and retail businesses take a cold, calculating look at the market and zero in on those products (and the processes and components that comprise them) that will deliver the greatest return.

Targeting greater profitability in this way will require the full complement of enterprise technologies, all working in unison. From PLM and ERP to planning and warehousing, these solutions may not be as glamorous as multimedia collaborations, but in a year that's likely to be characterised by uncertainty, they will be essential tools for brands, retailers, and suppliers looking to shore up their bottom line.

The Interline will return in earnest in January 2022, with a special focus on intelligent retail that will kick-start our 2022 editorial calendar. We wish all our readers a happy holiday season in the meantime.

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Fashion Technology In 2022: The Big Asks - The Interline

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Prognostication is always risky. And the last two calendar years have demonstrated just how problematic it can be to try and predict the specifics of what's going to happen a few weeks from now - let alone a full twelve months.

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Faster more streamlined supply chain process

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Faster more streamlined supply chain process

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Grow a business, both in the short- and long-term

Differentiate from the competition

Achieve optimal performance

Create & maintain a sustainable competitive edge

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Supply Chain Strategy | Improve Your Strategy for 2021 | Data Interchange

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An effective supply chain strategy is crucial for economic success in 2021. Find out how to improve your strategy in this article.

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1.Supply chain areas with highest outsourcing
2.Technologies that are becoming a priority in the supply chain industry
3.Extent of supply chain visibility among organizations

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Supply chains are the lifeblood of most, if not all, businesses today. Keeping all supply chain components running as smoothly as possible ensures that your business can provide on-time delivery of products and services, especially with changing consumer demands and supply chain disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Aside from reading up on the latest supply chain statistics, it's always helpful to stay updated on the latest supply chain trends.

In this article, we've gathered the top predictions for supply chains, supply chain management (SCM), and even inventory management for 2021 and beyond. By staying on top of supply chain management trends and issues, you can make sure that your company can readily adapt to these changes.

SCM encompasses a broad range of activities and requires excellent attention to detail. This is why most enterprise resource planning software are designed with modules and features dedicated to SCM. Through the software, managers can optimize supply chains, keep them running as smoothly as possible, and prevent disruptions that affect customer service.

However, having these software solutions at your disposal is not enough to gain an edge over your competition. With the ongoing pandemic, a large number of SCM professionals reported experiencing disruption that forced them to change their strategies (RetailNext, 2020). These included having to adapt their supply chain for ecommerce, renegotiating contracts, as well as finding alternative sourcing options. As such, keeping tabs on industry trends will allow you to be quick on your feet and make sound business decisions.

Source: RetailNext

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Given the importance of supply chains, it's no surprise that many trends in supply chain management center around the improvement of the supply chain itself, with new business models gaining traction (SupplyChain247, 2018). Supply chain technology trends also heavily feature robotics, IoT, and blockchain, which are all projected to make the supply chain faster and less prone to disruptions (Supply Chain Management Review, 2018).

1. Supply Chains are Going Green

Climate change advocacy groups and consumers' growing efforts to be more environmentally responsible push the supply chain to become less harmful to the environment. Electricity and transportation hugely contribute to greenhouse gas emissions in the US, so green logistics are quickly gaining traction among many companies today.

Green logistics is just one of the many supply chain trends affecting warehousing. Eco-friendly warehouses, for instance, feature advanced energy management systems that use timers and gauges to monitor the usage of electricity, heat, water, and gas all over facilities (Inbound Logistics, 2018). These systems help prevent excessive waste of resources. Electric and solar-powered vehicles are also seeing more use in supply chains; these vehicles help reduce the overall carbon footprint of supply chains.

Similarly, climate-smart supply chain planning is expected to play a more significant role in SCM in the next year and beyond. Environmental changes brought by climate change affect the availability of materials and resources, posing potential disruptions to supply chains. Companies will have to consider these factors and look for other resources if necessary.

Aside from doing their share to preserve the environment, businesses that adopt sustainable efforts also stand to gain more in terms of profit and customer loyalty (Nielsen, 2018). After all, more than 60% of customers don't mind paying a premium for sustainable products. With green consumerism on the rise, more companies are expected to implement eco-friendly supply chain processes in the coming years.

2. Circular Supply Chains are the Future

Linear supply chains will soon be replaced by circular supply chains, where manufacturers refurbish discarded products for resale (East West, 2020). To deal with the rising costs of raw materials and their volatile availability, many companies are opting to break down their products and turn them back into their raw material form.

Looping the supply chain can help cut down costs, past the initial costs of putting new processes in place. With a circular supply chain, companies can spend less on raw materials and, in turn, enjoy a reduced risk of price volatility. Moreover, a circular supply chain creates less waste, helping companies reduce their overall impact on the environment.

Stricter government regulations on recycling and waste disposal also push companies to consider adopting the circular supply chain. Businesses with sustainable practices may also stand to gain incentives for their efforts, not only from the government but also from consumers, a majority of whom prefer environmentally friendly products.

3. More Supply Chain Integrations

The coming years will see even more components being added into the supply chain, as companies look to make partnerships and build integrations with third parties. Partnering up with third-party services can help companies reduce costs while improving customer service.

For instance, more businesses will integrate and start to offer inland services reducing overall freight costs, and streamlining the supply chain (Supply Chain Dive, 2019). Integrations are particularly useful for shippers who often use a combination of sea and land transportation for their products. With integrated services, delivery times become shorter, and customer service improves.

The Amazon Effect also pushes companies to optimize their supply chains as much as possible. As a result, more supply chain managers will be partnering up with third-party logistics providers (3PLs) and 3PL-based technologies. 3PL providers offer inbound and outbound freight management and handle order fulfillment on any channel, and companies can take advantage of these to organize their supply chains.

Similarly, 3PL-based technologies allow supply chain managers to integrate multiple management systems via API and connect them to the cloud. These integrations will enable supply chain managers to overcome the limitations of in-house technology solutions.

Companies will also seek partnerships with other businesses that incorporate digital solutions, which deliver more accurate delivery ETA estimates and cut down administrative work.

Source: Supply Chain 24/7, 2020

4. Workforce Globalization and Challenges

Companies can expect major changes in the labor component of the supply chains. For instance, one such change is the globalization of the workforce. A study initially predicted that 80% of manufacturers will have multi-country operations by 2020 (Capgemini, 2020). However, with the pandemic, this growth may have been affected and perhaps delayed for a few years.

Factors such as the need for more knowledge workers influence the demand for workforce globalization. Knowledge workers-those capable of handling complex processes like analytics, procurement processing, and provision of services-drive the labor component of supply chains, and the emerging labor workforce in the US doesn't have the training and expertise to handle these processes.

Employment opportunities in the logistics sector were cut as a result of pandemic-related restrictions. In the US, labor jobs made up 3% of the estimated 22 million jobs losses in 2020 (Protrans, 2020). More companies are trying to fill the gap by outsourcing these jobs and expanding operations to countries outside the US. Advanced IT systems, collaboration software, and sophisticated logistics setups make globalization easier for companies.

Aside from the skills gap, the shortage of supply chain workers also stems from a lack of interest in these jobs. Experts expect warehouse and supply chain managers to offer unique benefits such as mentoring programs and tuition reimbursement to make supply chain jobs more attractive to younger generations . As such, experts predict that there will be 4% growth in the demand for logisticians and logistics managers in the US until 2029 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020).

5. The Spread of SCaaS and SCM Support on Tap

Many companies today handle their supply chain activities in-house. Still, we may see more businesses adopting 'Supply Chain as a Service' or SCaaS business models and outsourcing activities like manufacturing, logistics, and inventory management. Companies' supply chain management teams will soon evolve to become a smaller group of skilled individuals focused on making strategic decisions to improve the supply chain.

As in-house supply chain teams grow smaller, control towers will become more prevalent (Forbes, 2019). These advanced digital control towers give supply chain managers an end-to-end view of the supply chain. Cloud technology allows supply chain managers to access the data they need wherever they are.

Likewise, technology has innovated support for SCM. Supply chain technologies will soon be available "on tap." Originally seen in SaaS software, this method allows companies to reduce overhead spending by avoiding fixed costs in infrastructure, upgrades, and maintenance.

Source: SupplyChainDigest

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6. The Effects of Shorter Product Lifecycles

As product lifecycles and clock speeds become shorter, supply chains must evolve to become faster and more efficient (LinkedIn, 2018). Many companies today use a single supply chain for all products, despite the differences in these products' life cycles. In the future, companies will have to develop different supply chains to accommodate these varying lifecycles and remain profitable.

The shorter product life cycle requires companies to rethink their supply chains and streamline processes to ensure that they can keep up with the regular demand for new products. This is why it's alarming that as of 2017, 43% of small businesses still do manual inventory tracking (Wasp Barcode Technologies, 2017).

Luckily, there are plenty of advanced tools such as inventory management that can help SCM teams keep better track of stocks and automate order management. To this end, more companies will also be streamlining their reverse logistics processes to improve the handling of obsolete products.

7. The Rise of Elastic Logistics

It's not enough for supply chains to have lean processes; supply chains need to be flexible and responsive to market fluctuations as well. As a result, more businesses are adopting a flexible approach to logistics. Elastic logistics allow the supply chain to easily expand or shrink according to current market demands. Technologies such as artificial intelligence allow supply chains to adjust as needed with minimal disruptions (Material Handling & Logistics, 2019).

Elastic logistics provides flexibility to many variables in the supply chain, including sailing schedules, carrier space, container usage, and route optimization. The adjustability helps companies better handle potential issues such as overstocking and unoptimized space in vessels. As a result, businesses can enjoy greater stability and remain competitive despite market fluctuations.

Most Popular Inventory Management Software

1. Brightpearl. An innovative omnichannel management tool for ecommerce businesses and retailers looking to manage orders, inventory, and customer data. Find out more about this product in our Brightpearl review.

2. Cin7. A powerful inventory management and point-of-sale suite built for businesses of all sizes. Our Cin7 review provides comprehensive details about its capability.

3. Hippo CMMS. A user-friendly maintenance management solution designed to help businesses manage, organize, and track maintenance operations. Our Hippo CMMS review offers a detailed product tour of this product.

4. Fishbowl. A robust inventory management software built to help businesses track assets, oversee the production processes, and manage their warehouse. Find out more about this product in our Fishbowl review.

5. Easyship. A cloud-based shipping software built to help ecommerce businesses streamline local and international shipping. Read our Easyship review to find out more about the product.

8. A Standard Certification Process for SCM

With the complexity of SCM, it's not surprising why many universities offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in SCM. Professional associations also provide certification programs for aspiring supply chain managers (American Purchasing Society).

However, none of these programs offer a single set of knowledge for SCM. Instead, they focus on specific activities, such as financial analysis or manufacturing. This will change in the next few years, as technologies such as IoT allow for the development and integration of a cohesive system that defines SCM. Supply chain professions will soon have a standardized certification program like those of CPAs and engineers.

A standard certification process for SCM will ease the deployment of new systems and services. It will also help fill the current skills gap in the supply chain profession.

9. Better Transparency and Visibility in the Supply Chain

Rising consumer concerns over the impact of modern business on society create a need for companies to be more transparent about supply chain externalities (Sintec) . Companies have begun providing some transparency when it comes to the sustainability of their supply chains and their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. Still, more visibility is needed on the impact of the supply chain on other aspects of society. The shifting nature of global trade and its corporate requirements may also result in mandatory corporate disclosures for a variety of supply chain practices.

For instance, companies will soon have to look into providing reports on the impact of their supply chains on jobs created, sourcing practices, as well as types of labor and modes of transportation used. Disclosing information about these aspects of their supply chain can help companies enhance brand image among consumers and prepare for compliance with regulatory requirements if necessary.

Aside from this, visibility into tier 1 suppliers is critical, especially if those suppliers come from China (Deloitte, 2020). According to a Dun & Bradstreet research, 51,000 companies worldwide have one or more direct tier 1 suppliers in China while five million have tier 2 suppliers in the region (CNBC, 2020). In light of the pandemic-related plant closures and other restrictions in these regions, it is vital to understand tier 1 supplier risk and how this will impact your extended supply network (Deloitte, 2020).

10. Blockchain Tools to Handle Information

Supply chain visibility remains a top concern for most companies today, so it's not surprising that more businesses will be looking to integrate blockchain technology into their supply chains. Blockchain technology can help make the entire supply chain more transparent to minimize disruptions and improve customer service (Blockgeeks). Through blockchain, all components of the supply chain can be integrated into a single platform.

Carriers, shipping lines, forwarders, and logistics providers can use the same platform to update companies and customers of the product journey. Invoicing and payments can be made from the same system, too. This integration streamlines the entire supply chain and helps supply chain managers to identify issues before they occur.

Blockchain also provides unparalleled protection for information, as the technology's decentralization methodology protects data from being edited. All users must agree to updates or edits to the data before they're implemented.

11. Extensive Adoption of IoT

Aside from blockchain, more companies are implementing IoT devices to enhance the visibility of their supply chains (Blume Global). For instance, airplanes, trucks, and other modes of transportation can be fitted with sensors, which provide live tracking updates on shipping and delivery. IoT technology in warehouses and retail outlets can also improve visibility in production, inventory management, and predictive maintenance.

Companies can use all these real-time information to proactively service customer demands, minimize downtime, and increase the supply chain's overall efficiency. By increasing visibility across components of the supply chain, IoT devices can also help businesses optimize their assets and ROI. Creating a digital supply network aligned with one's business strategy and with risk management procedures in place will help companies to build resilience to mitigate the impact of disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic (Deloitte, 2020).

Many businesses will also leverage the power of IoT by integrating the technology with core business applications such as business intelligence software. These integrations will enable analytics for the information gathered by IoT devices, allowing companies to make data-driven decisions on supply chain strategies.

12. Robotic Automation of the Supply Chain

Robotics currently play a huge role in transforming supply chains and SCM. During the first half of 2019 alone, North American companies spent $869 million on more than 16, 400 robots (Robotic Industries Association, 2019).

More companies today are using drones and driverless vehicles to streamline logistics operations. Companies and consumers can expect drones to become fully capable of making deliveries of small goods. Self-driving cars are also likely to be more advanced by 2020, with capabilities to make automated traffic decisions.

In warehouses, autonomous mobile robots will see more use in speeding up menial, labor-intensive tasks. Combined with efficient warehouse management software, robots can drastically improve the supply chain's productivity.

The growing use of robots and robotic processes automation software, however, does not end in the replacement of humans (Quickbooks, 2019). The technology is intended to augment human efforts by speeding up simple, repetitive tasks. By relegating these tasks to machines, human workers can focus on higher-value tasks that have a more direct effect on business growth and customer experience.

13. Automation Through AI, AR, and VR

Artificial intelligence (AI) will also play an essential role in making supply chains more efficient (Toward Data Science, 2019). The technology can be used to automate procedures using algorithms based on data from previous processes. Automation makes supply chains more efficient by eliminating human errors.

AI also can identify patterns in the supply chain, and companies can leverage this technology to predict purchasing demands and manage inventory. This takes the guesswork out of planning and procurement, eliminating the need for planners to do the same calculations over and over.

Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) also pose various possibilities in improving the efficiency of supply chains. For instance, AR devices allow workers to multitask more effectively. Companies can also use these devices to enhance product development efforts by predicting potential product uses in a realistic setting.

14. More Agile Supply Chains

Aside from climate events, new tariffs and global trade issues require companies to be more agile in terms of supply chain planning (Logistics Management, 2019). To ensure stability and maintain high service levels, companies must make sure that their supply chains are agile enough to cope with natural disasters and the shifting availability and costs of raw materials.

Supply chain managers can take advantage of supply chain modeling solutions to predict scenarios and identify potential problems. This way, they can plan the best responses to disruptions.

Optimize your supply chain for efficiency

The supply chain is changing, and SCM isn't as simple as it used to be. However, advancements in technology give business owners plenty of ways to optimize their supply chains to ensure everything runs as smoothly as possible.

Staying ahead of these supply chain trends can also ensure that supply chain disruptions have minimal effect on your business. It's never too early to get started on supply chain planning to ensure that your business' supply chain is flexible enough to handle the effects of factors such as global trade issues, workforce shortages, and other unexpected events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you'd like to streamline your business' procurement processes, our guide on the best procurement software can help.
References:

1. Berman, J. (2019). Trade tension and uncertainty from tariffs puts supply chains on alert. Retrieved from Logisitcs Management

2. BLS (2020). Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from BLS

3. Blume Global (n.d.). How the Internet of Things Is Transforming Supply Chain Management. Retrieved from Blume Global

4. Capgemini (2020). Manufacturing in 2020. Retrieved from Capgemini

5. Deloitte (2020). COVID-19: Managing supply chain risk and disruption. Retrieved from Deloitte

6. Flovik, V. (2019). Artificial Intelligence in Supply Chain Management. Retrieved from Toward Data Science

7. Hassiotis, M.K. (2020). Building a Circular Supply Chain for a Circular Economy. Retrieved from East West

8. Gattorna, J. (2018). Designing contemporary supply chains for faster clockspeeds to cope with the increasingly volatile operating environment. Retrieved from LinkedIn

9. Mitra, R. (n.d.). Blockchain And Supply Chain: A Dynamic Duo. Retrieved from Blockgeeks

10. Nielsen (2018). Sustainability Sells: Linking Sustainability Claims to Sales. Retrieved from Nielsen

11. Powell, M. (2020). 2020-2021 State of the Logistics Industry. Retrieved from Protrans

12. Quickbooks (2019). Cobotics, eCommerce, and the Revolution. Retrieved from Trade Gecko

13. Rangel, G. (n.d.). Externalities of Supply Chains: Unrestricted or Opportunities to be Taken Advantage of?. Retrieved from Sintec

14. RetailNext (2020). CEO Retailer Pulse #2. Retrieved from RetailNext

15. Santagate, J. (2018). NextGen Supply Chain: The Robots are Here. Retrieved from Supply Chain Management Review

16. Selko, A. (2019). Automation is Enabling Elastic Logistics. Retrieved from Material Handling & Logistics

17. Smith, E. (2020). Coronavirus could impact 5 million companies worldwide, new research shows. Retrieved from CNBC

18. SupplyChain247 (2018). Circular Supply Chain - The Missing Link. Retrieved from SupplyChain247

19. Wasp Barcode Technologies (2017). State of Small Business Report. Retrieved from Wasp Barcode Technologies

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14 Supply Chain Trends for 2022/2023: New Predictions To Watch Out For - Financesonline.com

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In this article, we've gathered the top predictions for supply chains and supply chain management for 2020 and beyond. By staying on top of supply chain management trends and issues, you can make sure that your company can readily adapt to these changes.

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Research about the key Trends in Supply Chain management for 2021/2022

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Key Trends in Supply Chain management for 2021/2022 | Xpediator

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Many, if not the majority, of businesses rely on a fully operational and reliable supply chain. If all components of a supply chain are operating effectively then it means that your business can receive deliveries on time and in turn offer your customers the product or service they have come to expe…

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Case in point, Alibaba’s Xunxi technology and H&M’s Treadler have both now opened up their supply chains, offering their solutions as a service to brands of all sizes, and allowing them to leverage the efficiencies and economies of scale in smart production.

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A lot of change has been compressed into the last year - from the shift in workplace practices to the surge of online shopping. Adapting to this new and evolving environment has amplified the need for fashion brands and retailers operate efficiently, sustainably, and with as little risk as possible. Needless to say, global supply chains have been disrupted in major ways by the pandemic, and by ongoing geopolitical tensions, causing many factories to halt productions, disrupting the flow of product, and exposing both brands and suppliers to risk on a scale they have never encountered before.

All models of fashion retail have suffered, but those that rely on high turnover of new styles at scale, on a seasonless calendar, have been particularly impacted: large volumes of stock on shelves and in transit went to waste as consumers swapped sparkly dresses for sweat sets. And that same shift in consumption patterns has also caused detrimental effects beyond retail and in the supply chain, leading to cancelled orders, sunk material costs, sweeping layoffs, and other negative outcomes.

Long accustomed to treating production as a tap that could be turned on at will, the fashion industry is now being forced to switch gears, and to look at its supply and manufacturing partners as finite resources whose capacity needs to be managed efficiently and, in the very near future, automatically. Where once brands of all shapes and sizes, across every segment, envied Zara's short value chains, now they are looking jealously at AI-powered supply chains like Alibaba's new Xunxi AI-driven manufacturing ecosystem.

Because if the future of production is going to keep pace with the unpredictability and volatility of the outside world, then an agile, on-demand approach to sourcing and manufacturing could soon become essential, rather than an experiment.

The Journey to Industry 4.0

From the Industrial Revolution to the robotics being used in manufacturing, logistics, and distribution today, applying technology to automate manual processes is not a new phenomenon. But the Industry 4.0 label captures a much larger and more consequential combination of technologies than ever before: hybrid cyber-physical systems, powered by AI, that both consume and generate huge volumes of data that has the potential to transform the way we think about production.

An example: traditional apparel production has always been driven by historical sales and fashion forecasts. Designing, sampling and shipping - it all typically takes up to a year before stock hits the shelves, making the act of manufacturing far removed from the point at which the idea for a product was conceived. Today, instead of relying on WGSN and other data sources to make near-term predictions on what to design and manufacture for tomorrow, brands are instead facing the need to produce for the present, and discovering the potential of reducing waste, eliminating risk, and maximising margins by only manufacturing what is actually needed.

STILL IMAGE TAKEN FROM AMAZON "MADE FOR YOU" VIDEO

But this, too, is not a new possibility. As far back as 2017, Amazon had secured a patent for automated on-demand manufacturing (ODM) where clothing is only produced after an order has been placed. And this year that investment came to fruition with Amazon's customised Made For You line.

Allowing customers to configure or customise their garments, though, is only one approach to producing on-demand. Brands should now also be looking towards harnessing IoT and AI to analyse real-time data from a range of different streams, and to translate those insights into automated decision making for demand planning. Such is the case with Finesse, a vertically integrated fashion house that uses Natural Language Processing and deep learning across community platforms to predict the next viral trend and optimise distribution, rather than basing its style decisions off catwalk concepts, influencer looks, or direct customer demand. This is one further step ahead.

However a brand approaches the on-demand production, though, the common requirement is for demand - whether predicted by a machine learning mode, or actual from customer orders - to be met by smart, automated production methods. The idea behind smart manufacturing composes mainly of computer integrated solutions and robotics that uses analytical insights to adapt rapidly. A combination of hardware such as robotics, sensors and software are deployed together to provide visibility and monitoring of production in real-time. Manufacturing-focused machine learning models are then trained for automation, to build efficiency in creating a more flexible and technical workforce. And although this may impose a threat to human labour, especially in a time of volatile demand, it is undeniable that computers can make calculations beyond the ability of a human, and the use of AI can enable both brands and their suppliers to make better decisions, improve efficiency, safeguard agility, and decrease costs.

How Alibaba's "New Manufacturing" puts these principles into practice.

IMAGE COURTESY OF ALIBABA

Alibaba has already cracked the code for "New Retail" (a digitised, consumer-centric retail value chain), but the technology giant has now gone a step beyond by automating its entire supply chain. Their proprietary "New Manufacturing" ecosystem (dubbed the Xunxi technology) takes in cloud computing, AI algorithms and embeds Internet of Things (e.g. connected cutting machines and sewing systems) to develop an end-to-end manufacturing supply chain that can realise the vision for demand-driven production.

As personalisation continues to be a strong trend, production becomes difficult to justify at scale, since it is normally capped by minimum order quantities and production flexibility limits. Yet, Alibaba's model is specifically geared towards online SME's that produce a variety of personalised goods at scale, offering as few as 100 pieces per item with only a 10-day lead time from production to delivery - an unbeatable contrast when compared to the months-long wait that has defined manufacturing for decades.

Taking cue from Zara's playbook, production efficiency is achieved by optimising the lay plan from the same fabric. Alibaba's technology arranges items from the same material to be processed together even if from different orders and brands. The fabric cutting machine can determine how to fully utilize an entire sheet of cloth, enabled by the system's AI. Even the raw materials are coded and assigned with a unique ID and QR code to enable traceability.

Throughout the entire production stage, the system provides transparency, making the status of every production line visible to every worker, and giving managers the ability monitor the entire workflow remotely on their computers and even mobile phones. The finishing touches are picked and packed by robotic arms and transported around the plant with autonomous guided vehicles.

According to the World Economic Forum, Alibaba's "New Manufacturing" model has reduced the need for apparel merchants to hold inventory by 30%, shortened the delivery time by 75%, and even cut water consumption by 50%. These are all major improvements to the metrics that any apparel producer will be benchmarked on - internally and by customers, investors, and regulators - making the investment case for a new approach to production clear.

Redesigning the supply chain

Even with the worst of the pandemic hopefully behind, and retail set to reopen in the UK and elsewhere very soon, fashion's biggest burden remains excess inventory - both in terms of lost revenue potential and brand reputation. It is estimated that over 350,000 tonnes of wearable clothing end up in UK landfills each year - the equivalent of £140 million worth of stock - which is waste that both the companies creating those products and the environment do not need.

Under an ODM model, where stock is only produced when sold, smart manufacturing further presents the opportunity for retailers to rethink manufacturing in a way that completely avoids the need to create inventory in the hope that it will sell, assisted by AI. The use of autonomous solutions such as robotics and AI-powered insights empower manufacturers with precise knowledge in preparation and forecasting based upon various factors in market trends, weather and the likes, enabling the "see now, buy now" culture of today's fickle and impatient customers.

The level of efficiency achieved with an AI-enabled supply chain is said to deliver over 65% effectiveness in reducing risks and lowering overall costs ( Research and Markets, 2021). Cobalt Fashion's lifestyle start-up 22 Factor offers designers a virtual sample of their garment, shortening from sketch to market by 92% compared to traditional processes. Migrating from traditional old formulas to new manufacturing models, retailers can forecast in advance top-selling items.

Yet another pressing matter within the supply chain is the availability of human labour. Factories were gravely affected by the pandemic, in addition to unforeseeable geopolitical tensions and local protests - causing a loss of manual labour and sparking a humanitarian crisis. Where typically brands outsource production abroad for cheap labour costs, the issues of ethicality, sustainability, lack of manpower and long lead-times can be mitigated with technology, although brands must be careful about completely abandoning traditional production methods, and diversity in the supply chain is likely to be beneficial.

With smart manufacturing on the horizon, retailers are bringing back some production to domestic grounds, in hopes their technology investment and digital transformation initiatives will eventually offset the negatives to drive a smarter future.

Key Takeaways

The need to shift to new normal begins with the change within the supply chain: moving beyond seasonless models to shorter value chains that bring production closer to home, either physically, digitally, or both. Digitalisation is never an easy transition, and it can be a costly one too. And while this may be the largest hindrance to digital transformation, Supply-Chain-as-a-Service solutions are becoming increasingly popular as a way of removing that capital expenditure barrier, and that new industry is predicted to reach $15.5 billion USD globally by 2026. Case in point, Alibaba's Xunxi technology and H&M's Treadler have both now opened up their supply chains, offering their solutions as a service to brands of all sizes, and allowing them to leverage the efficiencies and economies of scale in smart production.

Like in many use-cases and scenarios across all industries, technology should not be seen as disposal or substitution of human labour - but rather a tool that enhances the ability of humans to effectively make decisions, backed by real-time insights and accurate data forecasts to reduce risks and optimize costs.

The impact of a pandemic has not just brought upon a crisis but more so revealed an underlying problem with the archaic and traditional ways of manufacturing and supply chain. To stay ahead of the curve, a digital model will become the lifeline for traditional factory operators who are struggling to compete. Rather than learning to react quickly, businesses need to switch gear from defence to offence - eliminating risk by redesigning their supply chains completely, rather than just artificially protecting ways of working that may already be becoming obsolete.

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Redesigning Fashion with AI-Powered Supply Chains - The Interline

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A lot of change has been compressed into the last year - from the shift in workplace practices to the surge of online shopping. Adapting to this new and evolving environment has amplified the need for fashion brands and retailers operate efficiently, sustainably, and with as little risk as possible.

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Faster more streamlined supply chain process

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Managing the supply chain has become crucial for today's eCommerce companies in order to compete effectively. Proper supply chain management helps move a company's products through a chain of people from the manufacturer, warehouse, retailer, distributor, and finally, the customer. Acknowledging the importance of eCommerce and supply chain management, many companies are now looking for ways to streamline their supply chain.

What is Supply Chain Management?

Supply chain management, or SCM, is concerned with developing and running supply chains in the most effective and efficient ways possible in order to maximize customer value and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. Supply chain activities include everything from product development, sourcing, production, and logistics, as well as the information systems needed to coordinate these activities.

Supply chain management in eCommerce recognizes that every product that reaches an end-user does so through the cumulative effort of multiple vendors and manufacturers. These organizations make up the supply chain and are linked through the flow of goods and information.

SCM consists of five parts, that when optimized, create a better eCommerce value chain:

Strategizing

Sourcing raw materials

Manufacturing products

Logistics

Delivery

Why is Streamlining Your Supply Chain Important?

Streamlining your business supply chain can make a number of positive impacts on your business. In fact, show that when compared to the average of other companies within their industry, businesses with an optimized supply chain enjoy:

79% more revenue growth

50% fewer inventory holdings

15% lower supply chain costs

3X faster cash-to-cash cycles

Unfortunately, while of companies regard a typical supply chain as a critical competitive differentiator, according to SupplyChainDive an overwhelming of businesses do not have full visibility of their supply chain and logistics operations. However, by monitoring and managing SCM strategies, eCommerce companies can more easily deliver their products, bring down the cost of production, and increase customer value.

Want to dive deeper into SCM? Be sure to check out the Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Learning Center .

10 Ways to Streamline Your Supply Chain

Analyzing and streamlining supply chains is a learning process not just for improving product deliveries today, but also for improving customer service in the future. Ready to optimize your supply chain? Here are eight things you should be doing.

1. Review Your Supply Chain Processes

To uncover supply chain challenges, problems, and bottlenecks, eCommerce companies need to conduct a high-level process review. Afterward, a more streamlined manufacturing or production line can be created to reduce costs and pass savings along to customers. A successful review is also important as it will inform the baseline for a follow-up ROI analysis after supply chain methods have been adopted or partnerships have been formed.

2. Improve Internal and External Communication

As your company grows, you'll need to bring aboard more employees and more external vendors. It's important to keep the lines of communication open so that everyone is on the same page working toward the same goal. This reduces downtime, confusion, and errors, resulting in greater efficiency, faster service, and fewer .

Additionally, customer service departments spend a lot of time trying to figure out where specific shipments are at any given time. By implementing an interface that allows clients or customers to check on shipment status remotely, both staff and clients save valuable time.

3. Rethink Your Sourcing Strategies and Partners

The ideal source offers low prices, high quality, and short lead times. Of course, it's hard to find a source that offers all three at once, so most eCommerce businesses will need to decide which attribute is most important to their consumers and provides the best competitive differentiator.

Is your strategy to produce the best quality products? The best-priced products? Or do you just want to get your products to market the fastest? Answering these questions can also help determine whether you're within the United States or abroad.

Of course, since e-procurement is usually felt across all departments, be sure to discuss this with all that are involved and include them in any decision-making if a better opportunity presents itself.

Read more in our blog 10 Product Sourcing Strategies for Ecommerce Startups .

4. Consider Factory-Direct Manufacturing

After you've settled on a source or sources, it's important to connect directly with the factory. Communicating with the manufacturers producing your product or product parts helps them better understand your needs and goals, which can streamline production and get to market faster. Perhaps more importantly, factory direct methods will typically provide the strongest margins while increasing your supply chain visibility.

Pro-Tip: While working with international factories can cut costs, it could damage your business if you fail to get domestic intellectual property (IP) protection. While it's not always necessary to get protection in places like China (legal battles like these are expensive and rarely won there) you should always protect your product and IP in the US with a patent and trademark.

5. Reduce Shipping Times and Costs

It's a fact: Amazon can already ship to of the US population in one day. This puts pressure on eCommerce startups and small businesses to improve their shipping speeds. But how can you improve shipping speeds without increasing costs? One way to expedite shipping and reduce costs is by working with a third-party logistics (3PL) company.

Because of the volume most 3PLs ship, they have relationships with carriers and get special pricing. Many will pass these savings onto their customers. In addition, if a 3PL has multiple fulfillment centers, they can ship from the facility closest to your customer to get the product to them faster and cheaper (shorter distances mean fewer shipping zones, reducing cost).

Read more in our blog, 12 Small Business Shipping Tips to Improve Your Profit Margins .

6. Reduce Duplicate Tasks and Data

Many eCommerce startups and small businesses fall into the trap of duplicating processes as they grow. Unfortunately, overcomplicating daily tasks can take up a lot of your employees' time, reducing productivity. To avoid this, evaluate your operations and look for similar functions that can be consolidated or eliminated (these may be discovered during the supply chain processes review).

It's also important to have clean data. Duplicate data can slow down your networks and make database administration more complex than it needs to be. If this sounds daunting, a database administrator can help clean up records and simplify routine data entry and maintenance.

7. Implement Current Technologies

As an eCommerce company, it's important to be on the cutting edge of technology as the industry is constantly evolving. While large eCommerce companies are adopting automation through robots and AI to speed up processes, they may be a bit out of your budget at this point! However, there are other relatively inexpensive ways to streamline logistics for startups and small businesses such as inventory scanner systems (check out five great ones ).

Warehouse management systems (WMS) also offer transparency into the supply chain and help ensure that goods and materials move along in the most efficient and cost-effective way. A good WMS keeps an eye on warehouse design, inventory tracking, picking and packing goods, receiving and put-away, shipping, labor management, yard and dock management, and reporting. Many of these are cloud-based solutions, which also integrate with third-party logistics providers (3PLs).

Read more about WMS in our blog, Benefits of a Warehouse Management System (and Choosing WMS Software) .

8. Consider Using Blockchain

Along with other technologies, blockchain is considered "Web 3.0." So what is it? After all, 28% of professional s say a lack of understanding is the number one obstacle to adopting blockchain (34% say it is the second biggest reason).

Blockchain is a peer-to-peer network where every process and agreement has a digital record that can be identified, stored, and shared. It offers total transparency and shared accountability for everyone in the supply chain. Think of it as a form of logistical trust between parties.

Blockchain also offers amazing auditing potential. It lets you track deliveries, demand, material consumption, receipt of goods, contracts, and accounts payable. It provides ledgers that easily certify the backstories of products, offering up useful information for consumers and also companies performing due diligence on working practices.

9. Get Automated

If you're not automating processes, such as the procurement process, you're likely to fall behind. In a recent survey, 66% of respondents say they have adopted procure-to-pay systems. These AI supplements help push manual tasks to machines instead of humans, freeing them up for more important tasks.

For example, automation means invoices can be automatically generated and sent from the supplier's system to the purchaser's finance department. It's an elevation of the procurement function, not a scaling down. Automation through AI can also run spend analysis reports before, during, and after sourcing; it also can provide demand breakdowns, component analyses, market analyses, and supplier performance analyses in real-time using internal and external data.

10. Keep Up with Domestic and International Regulations

Transportation regulations are updated often. This is even more true in the global marketplace, where laws and treaties governing what can and cannot be transported into foreign markets change frequently. It's important to keep tabs on policies, as economic and political situations often arise without notice. When shipping to new markets, due diligence and research are critical (using a 3PL partner with knowledge of international shipping is another way to go).

Learn more about International Shipping with The Fulfillment Lab .

Discover a New 3PL Partner in The Fulfillment Lab

While these are all great ways to streamline your supply chain, one of the best ways to optimize may be to consider a 3PL provider (or a new 3PL provider if your existing one isn't getting the job done). Today, more than 90% of shippers say that their relationships with 3PLs are successful. In addition, shippers who have used 3PLs report almost a 10% average cost reduction (5% reduction in inventory cost and 15% reduction in fixed logistics cost).

That's where The Fulfillment Lab comes in. We understand that in today's competitive market, order fulfillment needs to move fast while bringing your brand to the forefront. That's why we created fulfillment marketing - combining expedited shipping, order transparency, and complete customization to keep you and your customers happy. about The Fulfillment Lab or contact us today !

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10 Ways to Streamline Your Ecommerce Supply Chain

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Managing the supply chain has become crucial for today's eCommerce companies in order to compete effectively. Proper supply chain management helps move a company's products through a chain of people from the manufacturer, warehouse, retailer, distributor, and finally, the customer.

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Faster more streamlined supply chain process

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Faster more streamlined supply chain process

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1.What is supply chain velocity?
2.Importance of supply chain velocity in today’s world
3.Roadblocks to achieving velocity
4.Tips for achieving supply chain velocity
5.Elements of well-optimized supply chains reaching velocity

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In the ecommerce industry, speed is the name of the game. Customers expect to receive accurate orders fast - but quick last-mile logistics alone are not enough to keep up with this expectation.

To consistently provide the swift delivery that customers want, a retailer's entire supply chain must move at a high velocity.

Maintaining a high supply chain velocity has many benefits. Not only can increased supply chain velocity improve customer satisfaction, speeding up supply chain processes can also reduce shipping times and costs, create a better inventory tracking system, and make your operations more lean and cost-effective.

In this article, we will discuss what supply chain velocity is, why it's important for retailers, how you can increase supply chain velocity, and how a 3PL like ShipBob can transform the retailer experience for customers.

What is supply chain velocity?

Supply chain velocity refers to the speed at which activities within the supply chain are completed, as well as the speed at which orders move through the supply chain, from processing to arrival on the customer's doorstep.

Supply chain velocity takes into account the speed of every supply chain phase and process, including purchasing from a manufacturer, production lead times, warehouse receiving, inventory management, order processing, picking, packing, shipping, and last-mile logistics.

High supply chain velocity shortens order cycle time, minimizes lead times, and streamlines supply chain processes. Overall, high supply chain velocity means that customers receive orders with relatively little turnaround time between order placement and delivery.

Importance of supply chain velocity in today's world

Having high supply chain velocity is both a competitive advantage for your business and a vital necessity for its longevity. Here are just a few of the reasons why a healthy supply chain velocity matters for business owners.
1. Increases customer satisfaction, brand loyalty, and repeat purchases
As mentioned above, online shoppers today want their orders delivered to them quickly. According to one study, 67% of shoppers expect 2-day delivery, and 46% of consumers value fast delivery more since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

This need for speed hugely impacts a consumer's decision to buy (with 85% of shoppers saying they are more likely to buy when 2-day delivery is offered), as well as customer satisfaction levels.

If your supply chain runs smoothly enough to get finished goods into a customer's hands in 2 days, that customer will be more likely to recommend your business, leave positive reviews, and purchase from you again - all of which build brand loyalty and ultimately bolster your business's bottom line.
2. Boosts profitability & cost-savings
On the sales front, being able to quickly move products along the supply chain can result in more sales and higher revenues.

Internally, more streamlined and efficient supply chain processes almost always decrease operating and labor costs, and get more work done in the same amount of time. Saving money on operations helps small businesses increase their profits, or allocate additional funds elsewhere.
3. Prepares operations for unexpected challenges
An agile supply chain - one with a quick order turnaround time and lean operations - is more adaptable than a sluggish supply chain. This means that, in the face of variability, high velocity supply chains are easily transformed to circumvent threats and take advantage of opportunities.

If your supply chain is strong enough to support high velocity operations, it usually also has enough supply chain resilience to withstand unforeseen delays or roadblocks.

Roadblocks to achieving velocity

With unexpected global supply chain crises and a growing focus on supply chain sustainability, achieving velocity is easier said than done.

Every business will face supply chain challenges eventually, but many of these challenges are surmountable if you prepare for them. Here are a few common challenges that businesses encounter in their supply chain management.

Supply chain disruptions

Supply chain disruptions can occur at any time, and recent events have demonstrated just how intensely and acutely they can impact the supply chain. Whether it is an isolated incident, such as the Suez Canal blockage, or a prolonged global supply chain disaster like the COVID-19 pandemic, disruptions make it difficult to maintain supply chain velocity.

Even with a lean supply chain, unforeseen disasters can stop goods or orders from moving through your pipeline, with delays in one stage affecting the entire supply chain.

Infrastructure/inventory shortages

Shortages cause bottlenecks, making it difficult to maintain supply chain velocity when a particular resource runs out.

Lack of available warehousing space, a freight container shortage that causes freight forwarder pricing to spike, limited raw materials, or insufficient buffer inventory, and other shortages cause product flow to grind to a halt and force businesses to spend valuable time and resources finding creative solutions.

Growing demand

Increased customer demand for your new products is every business's dream - but growing demand becomes a problem when it outpaces your operation's capacity to keep up.

If there is an unexpected run on your products, you could easily burn through your safety stock and experience stockouts and backorders before replenishment. These issues damper your business's success, cause you to miss out on potential profit, and might even discourage customers from returning.

Holidays and busy seasons

Even the most streamlined supply chains experience predictable delays and shortages around certain holidays and seasons. Because of the increase in order volumes and labor needs, it can be difficult to keep supply chain velocity high around the winter holidays - at least in the US.

Many businesses also fail to take foreign holidays (such as the Chinese New Year Shutdown) into account, causing further delays and supply chain disruptions.

Tips for achieving supply chain velocity

With so many moving parts in a supply chain, it can be difficult for business owners to know how to increase their supply chain's velocity, or where to target optimization efforts. Here are a few best practices that your business can implement to improve your supply chain velocity.

Use your data to forecast demand

Anticipating future demand is essential to preparing your supply chain ahead of time and ensuring that you're timing replenishment to meet customer needs.

While you can't predict the future with 100% accuracy, historical sales data is the best tool in your arsenal for demand forecasting. By tracking what sells when and where over time, you can begin to plot trends that will help you better time purchase orders, prepare for busy seasons, improve decision making, avoid stockouts or overstocking, and keep everything running smoothly.

Audit your suppliers & distribution partners

Third-party partners such as suppliers and distributors play a vital role in supply chain velocity. Good supply chain management involves effectively coordinating with all relevant parties to ensure a seamless operation.

So it's important that you take a fresh look at your suppliers and partners to see which of them are underperforming (and therefore need to be replaced) and which are adding a lot of value and increasing supply chain velocity (and with which you should cultivate stronger relationships).

Upgrade your tech stacks

Having outdated technology - or worse yet, managing everything by hand - is a sure-fire way to slow information flows to a crawl. On the other hand, the right technology can significantly improve velocity by enhancing supply chain collaboration, control, and efficiency.

Consider investing in updated and intuitive technology platforms with built-in capabilities such as order management, inventory management, and data and analytics. This provides supply chain visibility, allowing you to identify and resolve problems or bottlenecks quickly.

To further streamline operations, utilize supply chain technology that will help you automate different aspects of your operations, make accurate demand forecasts, and provide suggestions on improving delivery times.

Have backup plans for possible disruptions or changes

A resilient and agile supply chain has contingency plans. Supply chain planning allows you to prepare for disasters so that, if they do come, your supply chain velocity is able to bounce back quickly.

While there are some challenges you cannot prepare for, there are some material steps you can take to strengthen your supply chain so that it can maintain its velocity:

Look for suppliers, distributors, and laborers who can provide immediate relief when you need it.

Create omnichannel contingency plans.

Always hold safety stock, and distribute inventory between multiple fulfillment and distribution centers to prevent losing all inventory.

Partner with a 3PL that can withstand disruptions with a wide network of shipping carriers.

Install backup servers to ensure better data security.

Respond immediately to increases in demand

You can also improve supply chain velocity with better demand management that involves immediately responding to increases in demand. A "demand pull" system is essential, as it involves "pulling" the product through the manufacturing process in a way that heavily depends on customer demand. This helps you reduce waste in the production process while enabling you to quickly respond to any spikes in demand.

Don't drop the ball at the end of the supply chain

Many ecommerce retailers focus primarily on product sourcing, procurement, and/or production in their supply chain, as those are areas they often have less control over. While keeping a close eye on those functions is necessary, the latter half of the supply chain is equally as important.

Efficient warehouse management and order fulfillment processes can help you get products out the door faster and significantly improve velocity.

Picking, packing, and shipping must be quick and accurate to ensure customer satisfaction, packaging should create a unique unboxing experience, and last-mile shippers must be carefully selected to maintain supply chain velocity all the way to the customer's doorstep.

For a more comprehensive approach, consider using supply chain as a service to speed up your inventory management, picking, packing, and shipping processes.

Lean on the experts

Working up supply chain velocity is challenging, and small businesses usually benefit from the industry knowledge of experts in the quest to achieve it. Outsourcing various parts of your supply chain management (such as warehousing, inventory storage, inventory management, order management, and order fulfillment) puts repetitive, complicated, or time-consumer functions into capable hands other than your own.

As these are the areas that are highly susceptible to disruptions, outsourcing them to experts will make it easier to achieve supply chain velocity.

Elements of well-optimized supply chains reaching velocity

While every supply chain has its idiosyncrasies, there are several key traits that high velocity supply chains tend to share. Here are some of the characteristics you'll find in an efficient, optimized, and high velocity supply chain.

Streamlined and documented internal processes

High velocity supply chains have internal processes that are streamlined to work together seamlessly through optimization. These processes are well-documented to maintain transparency and facilitate collaboration between all involved teams. This reduces confusion and miscommunication that could lead to delays, glitches, or backlogs within the supply chain.

Real-time supply chain visibility

Your team should be able to get real-time insight into any element of the supply chain, so that individuals can respond to issues right away.

Invest in technology and partnerships that enable you to monitor inventory levels, order volume, throughput for fulfillment and distribution centers, and warehouse efficiency minute-to-minute, and that provides key data and metrics at a glance.

With this level of visibility, you will have far more control over supply chain performance and can better optimize for speed.

"ShipBob's analytics tool is really cool. It helps us a lot with planning inventory reorders, seeing when SKUs are going to run out, and we can even set up email notifications so that we're alerted when a SKU has less than a certain quantity left. There is a lot of value in their technology."
Oded Harth, CEO & Co-Founder of MDacne

Strong partner and supplier relationships

As an ecommerce business, you'll almost always have to work with multiple third-party partners, including suppliers, distributors, shippers, and logistics service providers. This adds uncertainty to your supply chain, as any operational disruptions with one partner can significantly impact velocity.

While this is out of your control, building a strong relationship with your partners, suppliers, and other key stakeholders can give you the visibility you need to prepare ahead of time.

Businesses with high velocity supply chains usually develop mutually beneficial relationships with their suppliers and delivery partners. This encourages their partners to give them a heads up in case of any production shutdowns or delivery capacity restrictions that could disrupt the supply chain - and can even sometimes secure you discounts!

Ability to increase and decrease the flow of products quickly

Retailers that have achieved supply chain velocity are also able to quickly respond to changes in customer demand, and increase or decrease the flow of products as needed.

This enables them to maintain a lean supply chain to reduce waste in the production process, as well as minimize inventory obsoletion. At the same time, they're able to quickly meet increased demand when customer needs arise.

"I followed the steps, told my manufacturer the requirements to ship inventory to ShipBob, and in a couple days I had 4,000 orders that were ready to ship out."
Josh Hollings, Founder & CEO of Drop FX

On-time delivery of goods to customers

Ecommerce brands with optimized supply chains are able to follow through for customers, making sure that both inbound and outbound logistics are performed efficiently. Speedy back-end logistics processes certainly facilitate quicker delivery, but high-velocity brands pay extra attention to last-mile logistics to make sure that the customer receives the right package within the right time frame.

Getting customer orders out the door in under 2 days also helps you move inventory out of your warehouses or fulfillment centers so that it doesn't pile up, take up extra space, or balloon holding costs that cut into profitability.

If your operations struggle to keep product flowing or deliver on time, outsourcing this aspect of your ecommerce operations to a reliable 3PL can help you achieve the velocity that you need to scale your business.

"Being with ShipBob this past Q4 went a lot better than most companies experienced. We know some brands still with our old 3PL who struggled a lot. For them, it would take 5-6 days to get orders fulfilled, and they had to cut holiday sales very early."
Torii Rowe, COO & Co-Founder of MANSSION

Achieve supply chain velocity with ShipBob

At ShipBob, our team of logistics experts specializes in transforming supply chain velocity using industry best practices and strategies.

After connecting your online store to ShipBob, ShipBob's automatic order processing assigns incoming orders to be fulfilled in the fulfillment center closest to that order's destination. With dozens of fulfillment centers across the country and multiple international locations, this drastically reduces shipping costs and times for merchants.

Every ShipBob fulfillment center runs on the same warehouse management system, meaning that orders are fulfilled efficiently, accurately, and quickly everywhere. Our warehouses also employ extensive automation to further optimize operations, including automatic SKU reorder point notifications so that you always have time to replenish your inventory.

To speed up last-mile logistics, ShipBob empowers merchants to offer reliable and affordable 2-day shipping by negotiating bulk shipping discounts with carreirs, distributing inventory across the country, and utilizing air and freight shipping.

Once your supply chain velocity improves, ShipBob helps you keep it high by offering you the tools & technology you need. ShipBob's dashboard includes real time supply chain analytics to help you manage inventory, critical metrics available at a glance for full supply chain visibility, and historical sales data plotted over time to help you plan for the future.

With ShipBob to help you ramp up your supply chain velocity, you can focus on ramping up other important aspects of your business. Partnering with ShipBob allows you to speed up your supply chain velocity while maintaining order accuracy and quality, and frees up time and money to help you grow your business, fast.

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In the ecommerce industry, speed is the name of the game. Customers expect to receive accurate orders fast - but quick last-mile logistics alone are not enough to keep up with this expectation. To consistently provide the swift delivery that customers want, a retailer's entire supply chain must move at a high velocity.

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Sustainable supplier selection for smart supply chain research

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Sustainable supplier selection for smart supply chain research

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Sustainable supplier selection for smart supply chain considering internal and external uncertainty: An integrated rough-fuzzy approach

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New topic on sustainable supplier selection for smart supply chain is put forward. * A novel rough-fuzzy TOPSIS-DEMATEL is proposed for sustainable supplier selection. * Internal and external uncertainties are manipulated by proposed rough-fuzzy numbers. * Decision uncertainty is measured through the presented rough-fuzzy polygons. * Showed the method's feasibility with vehicle transmission supplier selection.

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The Power Of Photogrammetry In Online Retail

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The Power Of Photogrammetry In Online Retail

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By using a rig of multiple digital cameras, an object, such as the Mulberry Amberley bag, can be photographed from several different angles and these images can be stitched together to produce a photorealistic "digital twin" of that item.

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Photogrammetry for E-commerce | Fashion Innovation Agency

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By using a rig of multiple digital cameras, an object, such as the Mulberry Amberley bag, can be photographed from several different angles and these images can be stitched together to produce a photorealistic "digital twin" of that item.

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Discover the Cuyana wardrobe, a collection of core and limited-edition pieces. Our core essentials lay the foundation for your wardrobe while limited-edition pieces deliver newness every season.

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Brand Example：Sustainable Brand with their signature fabric

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CHRISTMAS WITH THREAD TALES Ethical stocking fillers, precious fabrics as soft as a hug, and thoughtful gifts to warm their hearts. ANCESTRAL WELLNESS A collection entirely dedicated to wellness, from both a body and a mind perspective. Coming soon Thread Tales Company creates beautiful iconic products made from materials with soul and sustainability, honouring traditional and cultural manufacture.