The program of Retail Entrepreneurship in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship offers students the opportunity to learn about the retail industry, how to operate their own business and develop a product from concept to creation. The program has a strong emphasis on the incorporation of the latest technologies into their curriculum and offers several impressive experiential lab spaces for students including the digital textile printing lab, retail experiences lab, retail innovation studio and the ThermaNOLE Comfort Lab®.  

The Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship is excited to announce the newest project within their portfolio. The funding of an FSU Student Technology Fee grant has allowed the Jim Moran College to purchase a body scanner which will be housed in the Body Scanning Lab in the Shaw building. A multifaceted piece of technology, the 3D body scanner allows for the collection of over 600 body measurements in seconds. 

However, the collection of body measurements is only the initial benefit of this technology, as many industries including health, fitness and retail are taking advantage of this exciting new technology. For instance, the retail industry is using body scanning in two primary ways: to aid in the product development process and to enhance customer experiences. Dr. Jessica Ridgway Clayton, associate professor in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship, told us, “Retailers are currently looking for new innovative ways to drive foot traffic to brick-and-mortar locations. One solution is to offer body scanning in-store. Customers can get scanned and their measurements can be used to recommend the correct size and even styles that might be best for their body type. Additionally, retailers can use the body scanner to create avatars to enhance their customers’ online shopping experience.” 

 “Technology is changing so rapidly in the retail environment. It is vital for our students to be knowledgeable and experienced with the latest technology in the industry, and the addition of our Size Stream body scanner will give our students a unique experience which will surely set them apart on the job market.” – Dr. Jessica Ridgway Clayton, Associate Professor, Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship.

The body scanner has additional uses in the product development area as body scanning is used to measure underserved populations, such as female firefighters, for better fitting personal protective clothing. Dr. Meredith McQuerry, associate professor in the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship and Co-Principal Investigator on the body scanner technology fee grant with Dr. Ridgway Clayton, plans to incorporate the body scanner in her advancements in textile technologies graduate course and product evaluation undergraduate course to expose students to the latest technology on the market utilized for engineering better performing functional apparel. This includes teaching students how to use the technology for non-traditional uses such as quantifying air gaps and insulation for outdoor apparel and protective clothing. 

The Student Technology Fee funds projects that provide ways for students to explore new and emerging technologies at FSU. The body scanner is one of the many Tech Fee-funded projects students have access to, and we are excited to see what projects come next.