User:Garment System/Garment Identification and Tracking System

The Garment Identification and Tracking System or GITS is a method for simplifying the logistics of shipping, warehousing and receiving clothing. It is currently in the pilot phase of development in Japan. The GITS consists of two main hardware components together with supporting software. The system's purpose-built hardware is the Garment Identification and Tracking System Contactless Smart VLSI Circuit (GITSCSVC), popularly known as the "bra chip", and the Garment Identification and Tracking System Contactless Smart VLSI Circuit Reader (GITSCSVCR).

The GITSCSVC earned the nickname "bra chip" by being embedded in every brassiere manufactured in Japan since the pilot phase began on 1 October 2007.

The system is being developed NEC for a consortium of clothing manufacturers and logistics firms. Among them are shirt-maker CHOYA, Gunze, Renown, Teijin, Wacoal, Asahi Logistics, and Japan Logistic Systems Corp.

The system can identify individual articles of clothing. The garment manufacturer embeds a chip in each piece of clothing. It includes information on the manufacturer, garment category (e.g. brassiere), style, size, shape, material, color, and others at the manufacturer's discretion. A reader sends a signal requesting the chips to identify themselves. On receiving this signal, the chips send the information stored in their memory. Readers can identify up to 250 garments in a box passing by on a belt conveyor in as little as one second.

Controversy
On 15 November 2007, Wana Magazine-sha, a publisher of erotica, introduced the Bra Phone in their magazines aimed at teenaged boys. This cellular phone includes a GITSCSVC reader with a range of 1 metre. The company offers three levels of services. When a Bra Phone user visits their Web site and submits a reading from a bra, the gratis service returns a photograph of a woman wearing a brassiere of the same style and size. For a ¥250 fee, customers may view a photograph of the woman without the brassiere. Their premium service requires the customer to send in a cellphone photo of a face. For ¥1000, the company combines the face with their library photo of the woman of the same size and shape.

The Bra Phone has caused a firestorm of controversy in Japanese schools. Girls, teachers, and head mistresses have been victims of pranks. Boys have coined a word, burajaaru, for the use of the Bra Phone on a female. Schools are prohibiting the Bra Phone, and 90% of all middle schools forbid their use. Ｂｒａ　Ｐｈｏｎｅ　ｃａｎ’ｔ　ｔａｋｅ　ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅ．Ｉｎ　Ｂｒａ　Ｐｈｏｎｅ，ｎｏ　ｄｉｇｉｃａｍｅ　ｓｅｎｓｏｒ　ｉｓ　ｃｏｎｆｉｇｕｒｅｄ．