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Virtual Dummy To Try On Clothes
Roland Piquepaille writes "BBC News reports that Toshiba is working with a Japanese software company to create a 3-D fashion simulator that will allow virtual modelling and coordination of clothes, cosmetics and accessories in real time. This means that by as early as 2006, you will no longer have to contortion yourself in a minuscule fitting room. 'Video cameras snap the shopper, then clothes and accessories are selected and displayed immediately. The process of turning the images of the shopper into photo-realistic avatar -- or virtual representation -- happens in real-time.' This summary contains more details and references. It also contains images of a virtual model trying different clothes and accessories adapted to different backgrounds."
I take the summary (about to leave work, can't RTFA) to mean that "Toshiba and a Japanese software company" haven't started the project, much less come up with a working prototype. Since getting stores to buy and use (and therefore test) this sort of thing would take a couple years, I'll believe this isn't vaporware when it's in the first store.
Maybe they're working on my flying car, too.
It's nothing but crumpled porno and Ayn Rand.
I don't see how you could buy clothing without trying it on.
I (and many other men, I'm assuming) do it all the time. We do the hold it up to our body thing (mentioned earlier), but frequently I'll just get my general size. Oh, I wear medium shirts so just buy medium shirts (especially if I stick with a certain brand). There's none of this garbage that women deal with where a size 1 at one place is a size 5 at another or whatever because pants are 33 inches in the waist and 34 inches long. Period.
I think that the problem with this is that it might be exceedingly clever if it weren't in between markets. People who simply don't care (for argument, I'll just say "men") might use it and take a look, but they couldn't care less if a store didn't have the feature, because it's not too influential in their decision. Those who do care ("women") wouldn't be satisfied with this sort of technology (especially if it hasn't yet been proven) and would insist on trying the clothes on regardless, to ensure the colors look right "in this light" or some similar thing, to see how the clothes hang, how they move when she walks or whatever.
It's like selling the hybrid manual/automatic gearshifts in cars (though I don't know if this has been at all successful). Those who hate having to worry about shifting would just as soon go with an automatic, and those who really enjoy the control and fun of driving a manual would probably prefer a manual (of course). So I don't know if it's a winning tactic trying to market to this middle, "grey" market where there might not actually be many people.
Land's End (www.landsend.com) has had a jr. version of this for a long time.
The model shows how dumpy I really look, regardless of color or outfit. As a result of experiencing the preview, I haven't bought anything from them in a couple of years.
So using this technology this company is going to sell more clothes why?
Live Long and Prosper - Thanks Leonard. You are missed.
To see it in action, go to their site. and click on 'My Model' in the upper left corner.
My Virtual Model Inc. has set the standard for online apparel shopping. Two core technologies - the My Virtual Model(TM) Dressing Room and My Virtual Model(TM) Fit - enable consumers to 'try on' clothes on the Internet. 2002 saw the introduction of a third product, My Virtual Model(TM) Imail. This innovative marketing tool offers a unique, fun and simple interactive My Virtual Model(TM) Dressing Room integrated in an e-mail.
For merchants, deploying My Virtual Model(TM) technology improves bottom-line profitability by increasing revenues while cutting costs. Shoppers using My Virtual Model(TM) solutions spend more, buy more and return far fewer items - resulting directly in reduced shipping and handling costs.
My Virtual Model Inc. was co-founded by Louise Guay, Ph.D., and Jean-Francois St-Arnaud. In 1990, the two entrepreneurs joined forces to build one of Canada's leading multimedia agencies, Public Technologies Multimedia Inc. (PTM). The first release of My Virtual Model(TM) technology in 1997 was a major breakthrough in online customer service. In 2000, PTM became My Virtual Model Inc., in recognition of the company's focus on the online apparel shopping market.
--- Worst tagline ever.