The days of using just augmented reality are over, according to YouCam Makeup's Wayne Liu, general manager and vice president of business development.
Today, both beauty and fashion companies would benefit from fusing different types of technology together — something YouCam offers as a service — in order to connect with their shoppers. The app has been downloaded more than 650 million times, and the company's technology is used by more than 150 brands globally, Liu noted. YouCam has more than 100 million active users, he added.
Using just one of the slew of tech offerings today is "not innovation." Liu said — "it's not disruptive." Augmented reality is "not something good to have — it's essential," he said.
"It's just like social media," he continued. "If your parents are on that, if your grandma is on that sharing some fake news or something…you're going to another social media , which your parents don't even know how to use."
Companies' tech advancements should mirror individuals' social media evolutions, Liu said.
"Right now, if you use just one technology, AR, or you're using AI, or blockchain, it's not sexy anymore. You have to perfectly mix everything together, just like a chef," he said.
He outlined three new offerings — "dishes" — that YouCam is serving up.
The first, AI Look Transfer, allows users of YouCam's app to take a picture of something and virtually try it on using a mix of augmented reality, object recognition computer vision and machinery. If a user were to take a picture of an Estée Lauder makeup advertisement for example, the app could match the look so the consumer could see what it looks like on them, and suggest which products to buy, Liu said.
The second is On Demand Live Beauty Advice, Liu said, which combines live-streaming with augmented reality. Users would call a beauty adviser from the app, and a real person on the other end of the phone sends the consumer various looks and gives advice through the phone. Suggested products can also be loaded into a consumer's shopping cart.
The final combined offering links face recognition, machine learning and data analysis to better allow retailers to understand what a consumer is thinking when he or she walks into their store. "When customers go into your store, you can recognize what he or she is thinking," Liu said.
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