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Research paper : Technologies for the design and retail service of well-fitting eyeglass frames (M. Mochimaru, et al.)−39−Synthesiology - English edition Vol.1 No.1 (2008) the best fitting shoes from candidate shoes of a wide range of lengths and widths. Subjects with narrower feet selected wider shoes and, subjects with wider feet selected narrower shoes. In the actual market, only shoes of normal width are available. These results suggest that subjects understand the fitting of shoes of normal width as ideal, irrespective of their own foot width. According to various tests, tight fitting shoes block blood flow, while loosely fitted shoes allow larger in-shoe foot movements and larger impact against foot. The third solution, “Finding Well-fitting Products” includes a service system to recommend suitable products for specific users based on his/her own parameters. Additional costs are required for this recommendation system. If the number of alternatives is too large, the complete range cannot be stocked in the shop, thus resulting in longer delivery times. “Mass Customization”, the fifth solution, has been realized as an insole customization service for running shoes. Using a foot scanner, the customer’s foot shape is measured at a retail shop, and insoles are immediately manufactured for the customer at the shop. Such processes require additional costs because customization takes time, and special equipment is necessary for manufacturing. The “Mass Customization” solution is thought to have the greatest potential to satisfy users. However, there are two obstacles. The first is investment by the provider. It is necessary to re-design products for customization, and equipment is required for measuring the user and manufacturing custom parts. Because the investment for mass customization is quite large, it is a difficult decision for the provider. The other obstacle is investment by the customer. There are customers who are willing to pay the additional cost for customized products based on traditional tailor-made customization. However, the market for mass customization is not apparent. Mass customized products are more expensive than mass produced products, and are cheaper than traditional tailor-made products. Customers who prefer traditional tailor-made products may not purchase cheaper mass customized products, while the majority of customers may not pay the additional costs for mass customized products. It may be an effective strategy for creating an apparent market of mass customization to allow the user to experience well-fitting products with a smaller investment. Therefore, we took the “Finding Well-fitting Products” solution as a tentative step towards “Mass Customization” in order to allow the user to experience a good fit at a reasonable price. An IT-based “Finding Well-fitting Products” system can store user body data and purchasing behavior as the system operation log, and the stored information can be utilized in product sizing for “Mass Customization”. Good experiences may induce additional investment by users. Subsequently, providers are encouraged to invest in equipment.The aim of this study is to integrate technologies for the “Finding Well-fitting Products” solution based on the concrete application of research into eyeglass frame retailing. The domestic market size for optical goods is 100 billion yen per year (2002). There are around 15,000 eyeglass shops in Japan. Figure 2 shows the final goal image of the system that would be operated in these retail shops. Customer’s facial photos are taken at a retail shop, and a 3-D shape of the customer’s face is generated from multiple photos. Based on the measured data, the system recommends a suitable size of eyeglass frame from prepared candidates. Elemental technologies for size recommendation include measurement technology that is simple and inexpensive enough to be used in retail shops, designing technology considering human face shape variations, and size recommendation technology. The system also recommends styles of eyeglass frame that makes the customer look intelligent, gentle, etc. This system shows the simulated impression ratings by a third party for the combination between the face of the customer and the selected eyeglass frames. These style recommendation services could be provided by shop clerks through traditional tailor-made customization based on their know-how and implicit knowledge obtained through experience. In this CostTimeSatisfactionMassProductionPopulationGroupingAdjustableProductFindingWell-fittingProductMassCustomiza-tionTraditionalCustomiza--tionFig. 1 Cost, delivery time, and satisfaction of customers with various manufacturing methods.Fig. 2 A system to produce eyeglass frames according to the “Finding Well-fitting products” approach.

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