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3D camera, ‘magic mirror’ let women shop in virtual changing rooms

Kalyn McMackin Contributor
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In an attempt to reduce the stress of shopping and lure customers back from the Internet, multiple shops within Manchester’s Trafford Centre in the United Kingdom will introduce virtual changing rooms.

Using 3D technology, a 58-inch plasma screen and a depth-sensing camera, the technology allows shoppers to sample outfits without even trying them on.

The mirror is designed to superimpose dresses, skirts and tops over a live picture of a shopper’s body as she moves in front of the camera. Movement sensors and technology similar to that used in Xbox game consoles are used to determine the consumer’s size and distance from the camera, The Telegraph reported.

Marketing manager Kelly Da Silva Fernandes, 26, who tried out the magic mirror firsthand, said, “It’s a great way to save time and allows you to scan through a large number of outfits very quickly. It’s great fun to be with a group of girls too.”

Adam Vahed, managing director of Apache Solutions, which developed the technology, said, “”It has worked really well, so far, with women’s clothing, so we are now developing the software for menswear and children.”

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