3D scanning for custom clothing. Back in 2001, Brooks Brothers tried out the technology at its flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York. And Solorio says Lands’ End gave mobile 3D scanning a try about 10 years ago, but the hardware at the time needed a bigger set of wheels to get around. “Because of the size and amount of power it required, it had to be in a semi truck,” he says.
Though 3D scanning so far has seen scattered use in the fashion world, Solorio believes that will change. “It’s kind of like 3D printing a few years ago when it was still nascent,” he says. “The technology has gotten a lot more reliable.”
Meanwhile, other industries are turning to 3D scanning technology to help users understand the features and details of the real world. A variety of apps such as Trimensional can turn smartphones into 3D scanners. In January, desktop 3D printer developer MakerBot Industries said it plans to work on a new breed of 3D scanner with Belgian company SoftKinetic.
The real estate arena is also dabbling with 3D scanning. Dave Eisenberg, the CEO of New York startup Floored, says the technology can give architects and designers a more interactive way to see the buildings and property they are working with. Floored creates 3D models of building interiors, captured by 3D laser-imaging scanners, for remodeling projects and other uses.
Broadly speaking, Eisenberg says, the cost of 3D sensors is plummeting, and that may lead to increased use of the technology. “You’re going to see lots of people experiment with different types of 3D data creation tools,” he says. That trend may also reveal one of the problems stymieing the ecosystem, Eisenberg says. “As 3D printing picks up, people will realize it is extremely time- and labor-intensive to create 3D content,” he says, referring to producing detailed, 3D digital models from data.
Floored is looking for ways to clear that hurdle, Eisenberg says. “What are the hardware plus software tools required to make 3D data creation as easy as 2D data creation?” he asks. “Whoever can solve that problem is going to have a great business.”
Making it easier to gather and work with 3D data could help the likes of Arden Reed and others in custom apparel. Solorio says Arden Reed is equipping a second tailor truck with 3D sensors to hit the streets in March, as the company looks to roll into new territory. “Hopefully in the next few months we’ll be on the West Coast,” he says.
