The Virtual Tape Measure for Online Shopaholics

Shopaholics come in all shapes and sizes – add to that gender, too. When the need to shop grabs you, it does not matter how old you are, whether you’re male or female, or if you’re broke or not. You just have got to satisfy that urge, haven’t you? Then there’s online shopping, which makes things worse or better, depending on where you stand.

One thing about online shopping for clothes is that you are never really sure about the sizes. Sure, many online shopping sites have sizing charts and guidelines to help you figure out the most appropriate size, but how many times have you had to dig out that good old tape measure to make sure you have not gained or lost inches on relevant parts of the body?

That’s where the virtual tape measure project comes in very handy. All you need to do is download the software, and voila, you have the virtual tape measure to take your vital statistics accurately.

The software is a project of a bunch of experts from the London College of Fashion and the University of Surrey.  Using the funds provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and some help from body-mapping specialists, they’ve come up with what may very well be the most advanced body scanning program for commercial use.

The virtual tape measure works by looking at different points of the body. It then combines this data with the overall proportion of the body. The result is a rather accurate 3D image, which is then used to determine the most appropriate size.

You will have to strip down to your underwear and take your photo. While this might prove to be a point for concern for some, there are strict rules governing the use of your almost naked picture.

The system is almost ready, but the people behind the virtual tape measure say that with marketing and all that, it will take two years to launch. In the meantime, keep your manual tape measure within reach.

[Image via Public Domain Pictures]