Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Magical mirrors can be found in everything from Snow White to Harry Potter, but while those mirrors are fictional real interactive mirrors are starting to make appearances in department stores and in Human-Computer Interaction research.

Take for instance this multitouch interactive mirror by LitStudios or the magical mirror in Disneyland's Innovation Dreams Home or the interactive mirror tested in a N.Y. Bloomingdales. It's a concept that when combined with multitouch would seem to have real appeal for retail clothing outlets.

Admittedly the examples I've seen (with the exception of LitStudio's) are pretty crude in terms of aesthetics but the potential is enormous.

What if you could go into a department store, put on a simple smock fitted with visual markers and then see yourself in any clothing offered. It sure would cut down on the time in the dressing room and it would probably drive sales. You sift though dozens of options, choose the ones you like and then try them on for real.