RFIDs helping to make you look good
16 December, 2009
category: RFID
Five graduate students from Carnegie Mellon University have developed a device designed store dressing rooms, that will offer suggestions on how to mix and match apparel, through the use of RFID tags, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Appropriately name The Smart.Mirror, the device uses RFIDs affixed to the merchandise tag to detect what shoppers are trying on and recommend other items in the store that may complement the look.
When a customer tries on an outfit, a RFID sensor in the dressing room reads the tags. The readings then prompt images to appear on a touch screen LCD panel of other clothing that may enhance a customer’s outfit. Store employees program the looks showcased on the panel and can update them as merchandise changes or new fashion trends unfold.
The students installed their first prototype at Charles Spiegel for Men in Squirrel Hill. After tagging around 500 items and placing the LCD panel and RFID reader at the center of the store, the Smart.Mirror went live last week and will remain at the store indefinitely.
Currently, the students estimate that The Smart.Mirror would cost a store roughly $1,000 per year for each device installed; meaning stores with a profit margin higher than $2.60 per item would likely be able to implement the Smart.Mirror without any significant financial strains.
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