Cutting-edge virtual try-on software

A virtual try-on solution offers shoppers the ability to ‘try on’ items such as clothes, accessories, makeup, and jewellery using technology such as augmented reality (AR), and machine learning (ML). Customers can do that without leaving their home – if they wish. Virtual try-on technology allows people to see how they look in a given item or product, without physically buying it.

Types of virtual try-ons include:

• In-store virtual fitting rooms/smart mirrors. These utilize technology to superimpose items over customers. Examples include a magic mirror or virtual mirror that uses AR, ML, and gesture recognition to overlay items or face products onto the customer’s image.
• Mobile virtual try-ons. These apps allow consumers to choose a product like makeup or an item like clothing, and then see it on themselves via their smartphone.
• Desktop virtual try-ons. These plugins for e-commerce enable virtual try-ons when people are online shopping. They work by customers using a photo of themselves or a live webcam to see if they like a product or if it fits them.

Whichever you use, the goal is the same: creating a tailored try-on experience that engages customers and helps them make a purchasing decision, be that online or in-store. Virtual try-on solutions also have the potential to help retailers reduce return rate and increase online sales, while boosting customer desire and value.

A few things are required from a technical standpoint:

• Locate the person on the image and understand it. For example, know where the face is, what part of the image is a shirt or top etc.
• Select and set up key points you’re interested in, depending on usage. For instance, face details like the mouth or eyes. This stage uses a machine learning model.
• Display virtual items, taking proper orientation, scaling, and occlusion handling into account to achieve an authentic virtual shopping experience. For example, a 2D makeup look or a 3D model of shoes.

Ultimately, virtual try-on sessions should be easy to use and as realistic as possible.

There are a number of complexities, including:

• Ensuring virtual try-ons are practical, not just fun. If they’re the latter alone, you run the risk of offering an entertainment tool rather than a sales tool.
• An authentic experience requires an accurate 3D human model. Mapping a human body is complicated and it’s not easy to reflect all body niuanses in a model, although even generic models can prove to be an asset in some cases.
• Offering a seamless, fluid, and realistic experience requires huge computational power and fluidity. Although machine learning models deliver real-like experiences online, they need a lot of processing power and storage.
• How much privacy are users willing to share when it comes to things like scanning in tight clothes or underwear? There’s a fine balance between privacy and better visualization, which will likely differ by customer.
• Fine-grained technology issues when building a custom virtual try-on app versus using an off-the-shelf virtual try-on app. Custom virtual try-on apps require complex features such as simulation of natural lightning, scene understanding, and occlusion handling. But ultimately, these bespoke virtual try-on apps are more photorealistic.

The short answer: it depends. “Virtual try-ons at home are still a ways off from becoming a true purchase channel. It’s a step in the process, but not a lot of people will buy from it,” says Jinder Kang, Innovation Consultancy Lead at Netguru.

That being said, if you’re a forward-thinking tech-savvy organization that aims to develop a photorealistic virtual try-on solution, it’s possible to positively impact sales – as long as the virtual experience is embedded within a larger sales ecosystem.

These days especially, it’s all about the ability to purchase from anywhere. People want the option to ‘try on’ an item, feel confident they like it, and then buy it – from the comfort of their home if they wish. Enter authentic virtual try-ons to meet that need.