3D body scanning

How does a 3D body scanner works?

The scanner uses structured white light during the survey (no laserlight!), which is comparable with the flashlight of a photo camera, but less intense. This is total harmless for the eyes and the body is not exposed to (harmfull) radiation. Nevertheless, we recommend people with epilepsy to close the eyes during the scan.

By means of projectors different horizontal lines will be projected on the body during about 1,5 seconds. These patterns are captured by 4 camera’s. The software then calculates more than 180 body measurements in less than 30 seconds according to the international standard ISO 8559-1.

What is the measurement protocol?

In the video on the media page you can see how the body scan works.

For the normal standing position, place your feet on the designated footprints. Stand upright and look straight ahead. Keep your arms slightly bent and make a fist. Make sure there is about 10 cm space between your thumb and your thigh where the thumbs are located closest to the body. You will be guided in this process by one of the employees if necessary to correct your posture.

What is the dress code? 

To be able to determine exact body measurements, you may wear only underwear in the scanner. It is also very important that this underwear fits closely to the body.

This is for men and boys: a close-fitting slip or boxer shorts. Certainly no loose boxer shorts! Swimsuit or adjoining swimming shorts is also possible.

For ladies and girls: a slip and bra (preferably no sports bra). A bikini is also possible, but a bathing suit is less suitable because it crushes the breasts rather than support, unless it's with braces.

The color of the undergarment may not be black. All other colors are good, especially pastels. The reason for this is that black absorbs the projected light instead of reflecting it. Consequently, erroneous results can come out of the scan.

Jewelry, watches, glasses, bracelets ... may also affect the scan results. It is better to remove these before getting into the scanner.

The neck and shoulders should be visible. Do you have long hair, they must be raised through a hairpin, hair band or elastic. A cap may also be useful for this purpose.

Practical 

To minimize waiting times, we have 2 dressing rooms. You can use one of our dressing gowns to cover the short distance from the dressing room to the body scanner. In this way, everything keeps very discreetly and we can measure more than 25 people per hour. If everything goes smoothly, the entire procedure takes a person about 15 minutes.

We just ask to make sure that you wear the right undergarments. If this is not possible, no problem. We have enough underwear in different sizes which you can use during the scan. Hair clips, rubber bands, dressing gowns and similar are also available here.

Where?

The measurements take place in the Fashion and Textiles Innovation Lab of the HOGENT, where the measuring devices are installed. The FTI Lab is located at Buchtenstraat 9-11 in Sint-Denijs-Westrem. Click here for a route description and information about the accessibility of the FTI Lab.

What happens with my data? 

Your data can, of course with your consent, be included in a database that is used for example to create the new body measurement tables for the Belgian clothing industry. Only your age and gender are linked to this data. Personal data such as name, address, telephone number and email address are not saved. Your information will only be used for scientific research and will never be disclosed to third parties for commercial purposes.

After the scan you get a printed document containing your 3D picture, and a list of about 15 different body measurements, such as chest circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, leg length, arm length, girths of the biceps, wrist, thigh ... The key sizes you need to buy clothes you get on a handy card which you can keep in your wallet.