LONDON, Sept 11 (AFP) - Internet shopping looks set to enter a new era with a new software that enables consumers to use a mouse to "feel" the textures of different fabrics through their computer screens.
The program, which uses a series of interactive virtual-reality animations to mimic the movement of various fabrics, was devised by Nicola Davison at Nottingham Trent University, central England.
Davison, who gained a master's degree in fashion and textiles, is convinced it will help slash the number of online shopping returns, which currently stands at almost 40 percent.
Called "Click 2 Touch," the software is expected to be available within a year after Davison, who is now in talks with retailers, won a research development grant from the British government's trade and industry department.
"The Internet only appeals to two of our five senses -- sight and sound -- but clothing requires the sense of touch," Davison told Britain's domestic Press Association news agency.
"Almost half of all garments bought online are returned, but less than three percent of items such as CDs, DVDs and books are sent back," she said.
"The number of people buying online is growing, but when it comes to fashion the inability to feel garments is deterring potential customers," she added.
"The programme is also designed to make shopping online fun and rewarding rather than just clicking through pages. In the future I plan to develop the software to include home furnishings such as carpets, curtains and sofas."
The software provides realistic sensations for 10 feelings -- softness, fullness, smoothness, hairiness, prickliness, drape, thickness, elasticity, rigidity and warmth.
Different 3D animations are used to convey each sensation.
For example, for hairiness, a close-up image of the garment's surface is shown. By moving the mouse up and down, a shopper can stroke the fibres and watch them ripple in a realistic way.
The thickness sensation allows shoppers to lift up the edge of a garment and drop it back down, while elasticity lets them stretch the garment before it returns to its original shape.
The images can be rotated, and the user can also zoom in for a closer look at details such as necklines, patterns and seams.
To develop the software, Davison spent hours in real-life shops, observing consumers to see how they interacted with garments.
Her business is based within The Hive, an enterprise development centre at Nottingham Trent University which is responsible for creating and supporting new business ventures.