Footwear manufacturers or retailers sought to test German-developed high-precision, digital procedure for foot measurement and automated, model-specific shoe sizing

The cost of returns is a significant and rising cost factor in the area of eCommerce. This applies to clothing, but also specifically to shoes. Approximately 50% of ordered shoes are returned to the retailer. In 75% of all cases, this is due to the wrong shoe size. In conjunction with a renowned German research institute the Germany company developed algorithms that allow biometric foot measurement using commonly available mobile devices. The application automatically generates the exact size in real-time adaptation to the selected shoe model, which then becomes the subject of the order. In this respect, the solution is suitable for a large number of shoe models from a wide range of manufacturers, including pure resellers. The technology is based on KI-based and deep learning image evaluation algorithms that are combined in such a way that a length and width measurement is possible with the help of a simple reference - in this case a DIN A4 sheet of paper. The images are taken semi-automatically with the help of a tablet or a smartphone. A necessary prerequisite is the formalisation of the object to be measured, the foot. For this purpose, characteristic image points have been defined that are to be recorded during the measurement process. A prototype has been developed. To test the solution in a real-life environment, the company is looking for shoe manufacturers or retailers interested in testing the application in their online stores under a commercial agreement with technical assistance.