ZOZOSUIT: A Marvel

Imagine a Marvel-style body scanner that examines your body in such detail that it can produce a 3D computerized model to track your health. ZOZO, a Japan-based tech company, actually built one to facilitate a data-led, personalized approach to body wellness — ZOZOFIT. ZOZOFIT's 3D scanning technology offers a detailed and visually striking way for users to gain a holistic understanding of their bodies, enabling them to track changes over time and set targets to maintain their own personal goals.

ZOZOFIT is the next-gen solution in biohacking, aimed at enhancing users’ understanding of how their bodies change over time. With ZOZOFIT's unique technology, users can gain a comprehensive understanding of their physical selves, empowering them to make informed decisions towards achieving their fitness and health goals.

The wearable tech market exploded onto the scene in recent years fueled by advancements in miniaturization, battery life, and the increasing demand for personalized health and wellness solutions. The market is projected to triple in size to $186 billion by 2030.

While smartwatches and fitness trackers from companies like Apple, Fitbit, and Garmin helped kickstart this trend, there is increasing interest in other types of wearables, such as smart glasses for augmented reality applications and smart clothing that can monitor body temperature, track movement, and provide other health-related information.

Enter the ZOZOSUIT, a wearable body scanner that takes a holistic approach to health and wellness management. Launched in 2022, it offers 3D body measurements and a 360-degree view of the user's body in the palm of their hand. Most fitness apps are specialized, but ZOZO addresses multiple steps in the consumer's health journey through goal setting and scale-free measurements.

ZOZOFIT offers an objective view of the body's shape and measurements at a particular moment. The scanning process does not look at the user's weight, which means that even if users notice a weight increase on a traditional scale, ZOZOSUIT can show them whether that's due to gaining fat or gaining muscle. Even for body fat calculations, ZOZOFIT relies on a weight-free method developed by the U.S. Navy to provide accurate measurements from head to toe.

"Visualizing your body is more impactful than raw numbers alone," says Madeleine Kanazawa, VP of Marketing at ZOZOFIT. "With its 360 view, ZOZOFIT brings to light the changes that users are not able to see, but do feel."

High-precision 3D body scanners typically require specialized large machines and can cost a few thousand dollars—but ZOZOSUIT is the first affordable and highly accurate 3D body scanner. With ZOZOSUIT, users just need to put on a suit and connect to the ZOZOFIT app on their smartphones to track change in their bodies in increments as small as a quarter-inch at a time.

Putting on a motion capture-like suit makes users feel like they’re about to star in a Marvel movie. Once they get accustomed to the suit, it's easy to make scanning part of a routine, such as scheduling weekly scans to see a summary of health progress.

ZOZOFIT's measurement system consists of two components: the ZOZOSUIT, a two-piece suit with a unique pattern of over 15,000 fiducial markers that precisely capture a user's body shape, and the ZOZOFIT app, which uses exclusive software and algorithms to generate a 3D scan and accurate body measurements in under two minutes.

The app shows ten points of measurements around the shoulders, chest, upper arms, hips, waist, and more, along with the calculation of the body fat percentage. When users tap onto individual body parts, they can see a trend graph that shows them the gains and losses they’ve had over time. With objective, accurate views of their bodies at any given moment, users can track their progress and identify incremental changes, making it an ideal tool for a personal fitness journey. As an upcoming feature, users will also be able to share their results with their community through social media or directly to coaches, trainers, or friends.

ZOZOFIT is revolutionizing the way trainers and clients communicate, particularly in the wake of the pandemic when online training has become more prevalent. With ZOZOSUIT scans, trainers can provide clients with personalized training plans based on their body measurements, shape, and size. Trainers can ensure that the progress their clients report is genuine, which helps them stay accountable to their fitness goals throughout the process.

"We actually had some of our trainers tell us that their clients are sending them Photoshopped photos of themselves to exaggerate the progress they’re making," says Kanazawa. "With ZOZOFIT, clients can see these smaller changes and stay motivated even if their weight does not change as dramatically as they would like. This helps them stay on track and achieve their fitness goals."

Users can also use the results of the scan to confirm or dispute any concerns they have about their body, such as imbalances or discomfort. ZOZOFIT's team, for example, conducted scans on marathon runners before and after a race to visualize changes in their bodies. Even if the numerical measurements didn't change, some runners noticed shifts in their body shape, which had affected their performance. For instance, one runner had mentioned that his right leg felt weak throughout the race, and the scan confirmed that his right hamstring had decreased in size, explaining why he felt uneasy while running. These insights help athletes interpret their progress in the long run and make informed decisions about their training and goals.

ZOZOFIT is now working with six USC athletes to support their off-season training by gathering scan insights and using them to contribute to their performance. Outside of fitness and athletics, many medical spas use ZOZOFIT to monitor clients’ progress post-surgery.

Future plans for ZOZOFIT include introducing goal setting and incorporating overall physical metrics, such as improved waist measurements, hip and glutes, along with the new feature, ColorMetric. This new view is a visual enhancement of the 3D body scan, which uses color gradients to help analyze and highlight the user's transformation. This allows users to have a more comprehensive view of their body changes without the need to focus on numerical data.

"It's like a heat map for your body, the color blue indicating "minus" and orange indicating "plus" in measurement. This allows users to compare current and previous scans instinctively," says Kanazawa. "It's a game-changer for those who want to see the changes happening on their bodies in a more detailed and engaging way."

ZOZOFIT also collaborates with health and wellness experts to provide advice and resources on starting fitness journeys and managing injuries. The company works closely with brand ambassadors, who are active trainers, to get their feedback for the ZOZOSUIT and ZOZOFIT app, using their knowledge and expertise to continually improve the experience.

"This is just the start for ZOZOFIT. We have some exciting things in the works and we’re constantly grabbing feedback from our everyday users, trainers and partners on how we can improve," said Kanazawa. "We will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our ZOZOFIT community, and provide access to this unique technology."

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