A smart mannequin system for the pressure performance evaluation of compression garments

A smart mannequin with the dimension of a standard female body was developed for measuring garment pressure. The mannequin has a rigid internal layer and is covered with a soft surface; it has eight built-in pressure sensors distributed on its surface. The sensors sense pressure imposed by wearing a garment and fed data into an acquisition device simultaneously. The mannequin can extend transversely at the antemedial and postmedial line to the maximum level of 5 cm, which may imitate the dimensions of different human body. Seven compression garments made from elastic fabrics knitted with controlled Spandex feeding rate were tested. Results showed that the pressure distributions exhibited obvious differences among the measuring points. They were also different at each particular measuring point when the mannequin dimensions were varied, and the controlled Spandex feeding rate caused pressure variations among the specimens. This smart mannequin system provides a novel tool for evaluating the pressure performance of compression garments, and gives reliable data for functional product development.