New Wiggle parent partners AI-driven online bike fit engine

Signa Sports united, the new parent to online bike retail giant Wiggle, among many others, has announced a partnership with an AI-driven online bike fit engine.

Built to enable the online shopper to perfectly size up with online stock, the Motesque software, developed by Professor Dr. Kai Oberlander and an interdisciplinary team, creates a 3D avatar of the customer that can be imported into software that will automatically calculate the best fits available. The tech is said to offer a realistic simulation of how a customer would interact with a product if they were trying it in person, albeit in this instance it is the measurement pairing that is key.

Thomas Spengler, MD Bike, SIGNA Sports United, said of the closing of the gap between physical and online retail: “Motesque’s advanced AI technology is a perfect complement to SSU’s guided-selling experience and will further help customers make the best bike purchase decision. We’re confident that this new offering will be well received by our customers, especially those in our mainstream segment, as it will enhance the customer experience and reduce the return rate of full bikes – underpinning our sustainability strategy even further.”

Signa Sports United has been assessing ways to pull in the most discerning customers who may typically shell out for professional service. “For the most serious athletes, this new capability means biomechanics is now integrated into the shopping experience,” said the firm’s statement on the tech integration.

Prof. Dr. Kai Oberländer, CEO and co-founder of Motesque, added: “Motesque has long pursued two goals with our solutions: supporting healthy lifestyles and optimising the customer experience at the same time. We achieve both with our 3D Avatar solution, which recommends the perfect product for consumers. We are therefore delighted to have found a partner in SIGNA Sports United who shares these approaches and wants to collaborate with us to make the bicycle market even more attractive.”

bike fit is not the only area Motesque operates. The use of its advanced sensor technology to measure body movements has also been deployed to make running shoe recommendations.