Automatic adjustment generation and measurement validation to optimize the production and purchasing process of custom-made clothing

• Grant number: 16/00941-8
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: April 01, 2017
• End date: December 31, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Interdisciplinary Subjects
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Gomes Pirani
• Grantee: Juliana Gomes Pirani
• Company: eFitFashion Tecnologia para Vestuário Ltda
• City: São Paulo
• Associated researchers: Isabel Cristina Italiano ; Lourival Paulino da Silva
• Associated research grant(s): 17/24748-5 - Optimization of purchase and production of customized and made-to-measure clothing, AP.PIPE

Abstract

The ePMG (eletronic Pattern Making Generator) is an innovative software developed by our team. It automatically generates patterns for the manufacturing of custom-made clothing. Such patterns are used for the cutting process of the fabric that was chosen for that specific piece of clothing. This approach makes the process much easier, as it dispenses human intervention (i.e., there's no need of actual manual adjustments in the patterns). Besides, it also makes the production process faster by offering the pattern - ready to use - to all parts concerned. With this solution and our own marketplace (CFM - Clothes For Me) we hope to make the purchase and the manufacturing of custom-made clothing more accessible - both for the client and the people producing it. The client can buy it through the internet and chose model, price, qualification, delivery options and producer. Likewise, manufacturers - seamstresses, tailors, outfitters - can rely on the simplicity of receiving, in mere seconds, made-to-order patterns that were automatically generated based upon their customers' measures. Thanks to its innovate character, our solution won two awards since its inception: Prêmio Santander Universidades, in 2014, and Microsoft's Imagine Cup, in 2015. In the latter, we were overall World Champions. In its initial version the software generates the patterns after being informed of the customer's bodily measures - hips, waist, height - and the clothing measures - such as length. However, some of the client's requirements go further and may be related to other personal needs, including comfort, looks and functionality. The main goal of this project is to look for alternatives that enhance clothing customization, especially when it comes to comfort, fanciness and style. Apart from that, the project includes other goals: it will search for solutions that simplify the adjustment of the complex curves that make up the patterns and the curves that make up the margins of the stitching in each pattern, algorithms to optimize the fitting of the patterns on paper (and, therefore, in fabric) and alternative methods that can validate bodily measurements through photographic registry. (AU)