Sep 16, 2016 | By Alec
Whichever way you look at it, choosing a new pair of glasses is an arduous task. Aside from the dubious challenge of choosing what you’re gonna look like for the next two years or so (and all the fashion pitfalls associated with it), many people simply struggle to see what’s going on and can’t make up their minds. It’s one of the reasons why leading 3D scanning innovator Fuel3D is now seeking to bring their facial 3D scanning technology to the eyewear industry, in the shape of virtual eyewear try-on systems that can be used in stores.
The concept is simple, but brilliant. After getting your eyes checked by your optometrist or optician, you can simply let your face be scanned by a Fuel3D module. The subsequent 3D model can then be outfitted with various virtual frames, and you can choose the one that looks best on you – far simpler and less frustrating than grabbing hundreds of frames from the wall. While very fun for the customer, your local eyewear specialist also benefits from the system by not needing to keep a vast supply of frames.
Fuel3D is not the only company working on this concept; Dutch startup Roger Bacon Eyewear announced a similar system earlier this year. But Fuel3D is bringing a very attractive package to the table, as their 3D capture technology will be combined with the word-leading virtual try-on eyewear systems of FittingBox through a new collaboration.
As you might know, FittingBox currently offers in-store try-on options through their OWIZ Mirror – which combines a digital camera and software to create a ‘3D experience’ using 2D imaging. While already a very cool system, it can definitely benefit from Fuel3D’s 3D capturing technology. Fuel3D grew out of technological innovations realized at Oxford University, and quickly became the benchmark for accurately capturing 3D data (including shape and color). Their 3D scanning technology also takes less than a second to capture everything it needs, making it a perfect option for in-store modules.
That is, in a nutshell, what Fuel3D will now be doing through this new collaboration. They will embed their 3D scanning equipment into the OWIZ system, to allow optometrists and opticians to offer unique in-store experiences. Clients will be able to rapidly change between frame styles and view themselves in new frames in real time thanks to head-tracking systems. A truly augmented reality experience that is also expected to reduce customer wait times and make selection a much quicker process. At the same time, the Fuel3D system collects the facial data necessary for frame manufacturing, putting the FittingBox solution one step ahead of its competitors.
According to FittingBox CEO Benjamin Hakoun, this will lead to a new paradigm in eyewear selection. “We want to make virtual try-on more than just a marketing option for optometrists and opticians, and make it a product that they can’t live without,” Hakoun said. “Working with Fuel3D, we can now offer a 3D scanning option that will provide our customers with a fast and accurate way of collecting facial data, which can be used to enhance their service offering and customer loyalty.”
Fuel3D’s CEO Stuart Mead further said that this collaboration allows them to reach a market that is perfect for augmented reality applications. “Working with a market leader like FittingBox is yet another example of how applicable our technology is for applications that involve scanning the human form,” Mead said. “Augmented reality is revolutionizing many retail experiences and our scanning platform has the ability to change the customer journey in both the eyewear and wider industry sectors.” Trials for these try-on system are expected to begin at tradeshows later this year.
Posted in 3D Scanning
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thats a brilliant use case of machine vision....
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