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29 March 2024

Abu Dhabi shoppers’ alert: No more multiple visits to trial rooms in mall

Published
By Sneha May Francis

Shopping is fun, at least for the most of us, but one that demands a lot of patience and willpower especially when one has to make multiple visits to the trial room. It’s a complaint that even the most dedicated shoppers make.

Well, that hiccup is about to be eliminated forever, now that the virtual fashion pod has hit the UAE fashion streets.

Yes, you heard right. No more running back and forth to the trial room or queuing outside with an arm full of clothes.

All you got to do is pose and pout in front of a screen.

The high-tech full-body projection (https://youtu.be/92eqBfGbXhc) allows shoppers to stand in front of a screen as they try out a host of designs, picked out by the stylists, virtually.

The virtual style pod, which is stationed at The Galleria on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, brings together the virtual and physical worlds by combining a life-size screen mirror which overlays the shoppers body with 3D clothing simulation.

The pod is built by Engage, with software by Space3D in partnership with Avant garde.

Speaking to Emirates24|7, Steve Blyth, Managing Director of Engage, explained how shoppers can quickly create outfits by mixing and matching outfits from different designers.

“It takes around 3 seconds for the Kinect camera to detect and measure up the shopper’s body,” he said.

“The cutting-edge 3D body mapping and cloth simulation allows the outfits to appear on the image of the shopper’s body in 360° with realistic cloth movement.

“There are two cameras; a Kinetic motion detection camera which tracks the body and creates a mesh of your body in real time and space and a HD camera to show your image on the screen.”

Steve believes that “Fashion3D accelerates the sales process by facilitating the decision making process for customers”.

He adds that this in turn becomes a valuable marketing tool as it can be shared through various social media platforms and also builds brand loyalty as it captures and records customer’s individual preference through their virtual choices.

The technology also helps shoppers mix and match outfits from multiple designers and retailers, without having to step into all those stores individually.

Highlighting the feedback from shoppers in Abu Dhabi, Steve claims they found the pod “a fun and interactive experience”.

The company now plans to expand this technology towards developing the Virtual Styling Pod, which is a head and shoulders HD version. “It’s to style your hair, facial hair, make-up, try on glasses, hats, etc.,” he explains.

They are also planning to create an in-home version of the pod, allowing shoppers to try on clothes virtually during online purchases. “This would enable customers to experience the shopping experience from the comfort of their own home.”
 

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