Reflekt: An Interactive Dressing Room

For this class we were given the task of applying the concept of augmented reality to a problem we see today. I chose to address the experience of online shopping and clothing customization.

I call my solution:
Reflekt: and interactive dressing room.

Now, the problems I see facing online shopping are two-fold. First:

Clothes are made in a number of standard sizes: small, medium, large, etc. And since every person is different, these are just not adequate.

And secondly:

When purchasing clothes online, you don’t know how you will look in them. So you may end up being disappointed. Also, when trying on clothes in a store, you cannot see what that item will look like with the other clothes you own.

The idea then came to me to create a mirror. But not any ordinary mirror, one with an entire customization interface for ordering clothes built in.

So basically, this mirror will allow you to:

See a reflection of yourself, but with other clothes on. Now this virtual fitting room opens up many possibilities. First of all, this solves the problem of not knowing what you will look like in clothes purchased online. Secondly, this opens up the ability to mix in clothes you have already purchased with whatever you are trying on.

Now in terms of customization, having motion tracking software can allow you to do:

Gestural customization. This was an important part of this project for me. Instead of using the mirror as a screen, I want the user to use their body to interact with the program.

Say you’re trying on pants, if you want them to be baggier you just grab the crotch area and pull down, and the opposite to make them tighter.

If you’re trying on ties, you can squeeze it to become thinner or stretch it to become wider, etc.

As with any new technology, you will need certain things for this to work. First, if this device is to be used commercially (in store fitting rooms) you will need an RFID card with you.

Now this card will store all of your measurements, sizes, and previous purchases on it so when you step into the fitting room the mirror will know who you are and have your entire closet of clothes accessible by the system.

Next:

You will need a full LCD mirror display with a camera embedded in it. Once you step in front of the mirror it will change from a reflection of you to a live video of you, so the software can project the clothing onto your image. And finally:

You must wear tight fitting white or brightly colored clothes, so that the tracking software can analyze your body and movements.

So in conclusion, I believe that the future will be filled with new and innovative ways of both customizing the things you buy and the way we interact with computer interfaces.

Augmented reality is opening huge doors into things that were only science fiction just a few years ago.

Reflekt: The Prototype from Alex Pytlarz on Vimeo.