Realistically Reproduce the Texture & Movement of the Fabric when Worn! TOPPAN Inc.'s "MetaClone® Studio"

TOPPAN Inc. is a long-established comprehensive printing company founded in 1900, operating based on "printing technology." In 2021, the company developed and released a service that can generate a 3D avatar from a photo, "MetaClone®Avatar." In April 2023, they began providing "MetaClone®Studio," which offers virtual fashion experiences at stores and event venues.

What kind of service is MetaClone® Studio? We asked Zhang Ping, General Manager of the MiraVerze Business Development Department at TOPPAN Inc. about the overview, reactions, and future developments of the service.

Faithfully Reproducing the Texture and Movement of Fabric with MetaClone® Studio

First, could you tell us about the overview of the MetaClone® Studio service developed by your company?

MetaClone® Studio generates an avatar with the user's face, photographed at the store or venue, in a virtual space that represents a company or brand. It's a PR package that readily provides experiences like "the unique worldview of a company or brand" and "virtual fitting" to users. By using MetaClone® Studio, it is possible to strengthen PR activities at stores and venues and to promote fashion items through virtual fitting experiences.

In recent years, the range of metaverse applications has expanded, and it is expected to contribute to the development of many industries. Until now, virtual fitting primarily involved overlaying clothing images on user photos, making realistic fitting simulations difficult.

TOPPAN adopted a new method of generating avatars using the MetaClone® avatar developed in 2021, allowing users to try on clothes in the metaverse. This has enabled the faithful reproduction of the fabric's texture and movement when worn by the avatar.

MetaClone® Studio was introduced for a limited period in April at the Isetan Shinjuku store's "Crepuscule Tsuchikoro" POP UP store. Were there any challenges during the introduction?

The development of MetaClone® Studio faced challenges such as designing customer experiences at the store and expressing the unique worldview of each brand. Specifically, there are differences in the environment like brightness and background color unique to store settings when photographing individuals. To address these, we made some error adjustments and setting changes.

In the case of Crepuscule's content, which was adopted this time, we paid close attention to details like the color and lighting of the 3D space where the avatar experiences fitting and camera angles during dance scenes to express the brand's worldview.

MetaClone® Studio was developed with a focus on the realistic reproduction of fabric textures, movements, and motion during wear, leveraging the latest 3DCG technology. This allows users to confirm the feel of wearing the clothing in the metaverse without actually trying them on.

One Month After Release: Numerous Inquiries Already

Specifically, how does MetaClone® Studio generate and utilize avatars?

An avatar is created simply by taking a photo of your face in-store. This enables you to experience the unique worldviews of companies and brands, as well as virtual fitting experiences.

Currently, we envision three primary use cases: apparel stores, event venues, and tourist spots. For instance, in apparel stores, it can be set up to link real-life and metaverse projects. When introduced to fashion brands, virtual try-on simulations allow users to get a sense of how clothes look without actually trying them on.

At fan events for sports, anime, games, and the like, users can appear as avatars in virtual stadiums. Additionally, they can dress their avatars in the same outfits as anime/game characters or sports team uniforms, enhancing fan loyalty.

As for tourist spots, it can be installed in places like museums and archives, allowing users to dress their avatars as historical figures, thereby supporting regional revitalization efforts.