The virtual mannequin technology consists of two distinct technologies: (1) the virtual mannequin customisation interface and (2) the FIGMENT garment modellling system.
The virtual mannequin customisation interface is a Web-based client-side application (employing VRML and Java technology) which allows the customer of an online clothing retailer (or tailoring service) to personalise a virtual mannequin (i.e. a computer representation of the user) with respect to physical dimensions and appearance. This customised mannequin may then be used for the fitting and modelling of potential purchases.
The FIGMENT system (Fast Implementation Garment Modelling EnvironmeNT) is a set of novel modelling algorithms and techniques which allow the physical behaviour (draping, folding, stretching) of clothing items to be simulated in short periods of time (compared to other cloth modelling systems). For example, a virtual mannequin can be 'clothed' with two or three garments, and the rendered results displayed to the user, in around two minutes on a 300MHz Pentium PC. This substantial reduction in modelling time would permit the implementation of a truly interactive virtual mannequin service.