BBC: Terminator bots aim to give web shoppers the right fit

BBC reports: An Estonian firm has developed a team of shape-shifting robots designed to help shoppers get the right fit when buying clothes online. It should cut down on returns, because customers should be receiving a product that fits perfectly on their bodies.

The London-based shirtmaker has integrated Fits.me's virtual fitting room into its own website. Hawes and Curtis' e-commerce director, Antony Comyns, is pleased with the results so far. "Not only do we expect it to increase sales," Mr Comyns says, "but it should also cut down on returns, because customers should be receiving a product that fits perfectly on their bodies."

But what retailers are really pushing for is the female version of the Fits.me mannequin. On average, women spend much more on clothing than men.

But the female robot is much harder, says Professor Kruusma. "You can't just take a male mannequin and put breasts on it. That doesn't work," she says.

And, she notes, its about more than just more complicated biomechanics. Women, she notes, also tend to be more discerning in their clothing purchases, trying a wider variety of cuts, styles and shapes before deciding on an item. That makes getting the female robot right an even harder task.

Still, the company hopes to have it ready in October.

Read the full article here.