shortfalls and overages in combat clothing and equipment, as well as related expenses, the US Army
Materiel Command has launched the Uniform System for Improved Tariffs (USFIT), a three-phase
program to install 3-D whole-body scanners at army installations with a large concentration of
troops. The scanners will accurately record the shape of a soldier’s body and clothing size.
Clothing size will be programmed into a USFIT database, and the 3-D scan and associated data
will be archived in the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center
Integrated Database for Engineering Anthropometry of Soldiers (IDEAS). Using the USFIT database,
the Army will be able to order uniforms and equipment based on current requirements, resulting in
potentially reducing overbuys by 50 percent, reducing expenses associated with returning unused
items, and reducing inventory storage costs. The IDEAS database will provide size information to
material developers for current and future clothing and equipment requirements.
The first phase of the program included the development of size prediction algorithms for
select uniforms and pieces of equipment and the scanning and fit testing of approximately 4,700
soldiers. The second phase will place scanners at 24 Army facilities, while the third phase will
include distribution of head and foot scanners for sizing masks and footwear.
August 14, 2007
