Augmented reality in retail
The media has been rife with stories of late about the use of Augmented Reality in advertising, but how about in an actual retail environment?
I ran across this use of augmented reality recently where international fashion retailer Topshop has utilised the Microsoft Kinect platform coupled with augmented reality to create a virtual fitting room in store!
The technology allows the customer to select and “view” items of clothing from the store on themselves in real time. It’s like looking into a gigantic mirror, without actually having to try the clothes on!
The video below will showcase how the technology works, it’s still a little choppy in some instances, but with future expansion and more demand for this type of technology, the quality will only improve.
I can imagine the possibilities for this type of thing in the future. Imagine perhaps an interior decorator who comes through your home and using a handheld augmented reality system can show you virtually exactly how those new curtains, paint and fixtures will look in your home!
[briotube]http://www.youtube.com/v/L_cYKFdP1_0[/briotube]
Yours in augmented reality,
Trish
