While on-demand, custom fashion has the potential to change everything about the way we do fashion, I believe that it is companies like Body Labs that will truly enable to take place. Body Labs doesn’t 3D print clothing, as a studio like Nervous System might, or even print custom apparel, as a site like MyWear does. Instead, the Manhattan startup is developing the platforms for translating the physical body into a digital form for use in such applications as fashion and medicine. And, now, through the acquisition of exclusive patents and licenses to key technologies, the company will be taking its worth a step further.
Body Labs has acquired U.S. Patents 9,189,886 B2 and 2013/0249908 A1 from Brown University that related to the firm’s statistical model of human shape, pose, and motion. This method uses machine learning and “the world’s most comprehensive training set” of poses to create shape parameters, such as measurements and scans, to form accurate body geometry. Additionally, the startup now has licenses to new technology from Max-Planck-Innovation GmbH. The technology, focused on hands, feet, faces, and heads allows Body Labs to link their platform to other technologies, such as gaming, VR, AR, and more. Moreover, the technology allows for improved detail related to soft-tissue deformation and pose variations.
William O’Farrell, co-founder and CEO of Body Labs, says of the news, “These exclusive patents and licenses enable us to unlock unprecedented personalization across the entire human body and ensure our technology is more accessible than ever to a growing list of industries. It’s been a privilege to be partnered with Brown University and the Max Planck Institute for the past three years. These patents and licenses enable us to further expand our relationship and drive rapid innovation in the 3D body modeling space.”
The technology will make Body Labs’ technology that much more robust as they begin to implement their platform for use in clothing design and as they embark on new ventures in VR and AR, as well. So, as studios like Nervous Systems take advantage of the Body Labs API for 3D printed clothing design, firms involved in AR and VR (Microsoft? Google?) will be able to use their advanced algorithms to bring people into games, fitness apps, and more.
