Walmart is upgrading its virtual wardrobe service by letting people upload photos of themselves and see how their clothes fit on their bodies.
The new tool is called Be Your Own Model (opens in a new tab), a follow-up to Choose My Model. The old version offered you to choose a body similar to yours from a selection of 50 models to see how the clothes fit you. It was a great concept, but with notable limitations. You had to watch the whole process and hope that you could find a compatible body. With Be Your Own Model, the virtual adjustment of clothing is simpler and more precise.
Walmart says it uses "complex machine learning models and algorithms" to help people better visualize what clothes look like. You'll have access to more than 270.000 items in the company's catalog, including select brands, with plans for expansion. According to the announcement, all items will be women's clothing, but there are reports (opens in new tab) that Be Your Own Model will expand to include men's and children's clothing.
The update is coming to the Walmart app on iOS right now, and soon users will be able to upload their photos to a desktop computer and try out Choose My Model there. There will be a rollout for "Android devices in the coming weeks."
How does it work
To get started with Be Your Own Model, search for a garment in the Walmart app that's compatible with the new tool, then hit the Try It button. From there, you prop up your iPhone and take a picture of yourself in a well-lit room while wearing tight clothing. The app needs to be able to see your entire body. It will then ask you what your size is, and after a short moment, the app will show you the outfit on your body.
Fitting clothing is not a simple layering either, as Be Your Own Model will simulate how a dress falls over a body, as well as shade and drape the fabric. That's thanks to "machine learning models," according to Walmart. The technology will also take into account the color, size and even the length of the sleeves of the shirts.
There is one major omission in the ad and that is the level of security found in Be Your Own Model. As stated above, you'll need to take pictures of yourself in tight clothing, but nowhere does it say how Walmart will protect those pictures. Not even a brief mention of the type of encryption technology used, if at all.
We reached out to Walmart and asked them about the safety of Be Your Own Model, as well as any limitations the tool might have, such as whether it only accepts certain file sizes. This story will be updated if we have any news.
change reality
Thinking about Be Your Own Model made us realize how often virtual and augmented reality have appeared in other factors of life besides video games. For example, virtual makeup started appearing in 202. With it, people can upload photos of themselves and see how a certain cosmetic would look on their face before buying it. Amazon did something similar with Amazon Showroom, a service that allows you to place virtual furniture in a virtual room to give you an idea of what it would look like in your home.
It's unclear whether other department stores will add virtual fitting rooms. Amazon's smart mirror patent for virtual clothing hasn't really gone anywhere, but there are apps like YourFit (opens in a new tab), so the potential is there. But no one has capitalized on virtual dressing rooms like Walmart.
If you want to know how augmented reality can further impact lives, be sure to check out TechRadar's story on how Microsoft is bringing the technology to vehicles.