AR fitting room enhances customer experience

A model uses FXGear's virtual fitting room FXMirror to virtually try on a garment. / Courtesy of FXGear

By Baek Byung-yeul

Choi Kwang-jin, CEO of FXGear

Choi Kwang-jin established computer graphics firm FXGear in 2004 and cultivated its cutting-edge technologies.

The Seoul-based firm's technological superiority is already well-known to many computer graphics firms, as its "Qualoth" cloth simulator software has been used in a slew of 3D animated films including U.S.-based animation studio DreamWorks' 2007 film "Shrek the Third."

To diversify its business portfolio, FXGear started paying attention to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) — both regarded as emerging technologies that can impact industries — six years ago when not many companies were aware of them.

"FXGear had to make a decision on whether we keep focusing on developing software programs for computer graphics used for creating scenes in films or find another sector so that we could apply our software programs there," Choi told The Korea Times at FXGear's headquarters in Seoul, Oct. 16.

"We have been developing software programs and our Qualoth simulator proved to be a boon in creating computer graphic-based films. But in our estimation, the entire film market that needs our software programs was valued at tens of billions of won, which was not enough to guarantee the continued operations of the company," Choi said.

At a crossroads, Choi focused on the possibility of AR and VR technologies in 2012. "We decided to focus on AR and VR technologies so we could apply them to mobile devices which would have a huge demand in the near future at the time," he said.

The decision was right. Now, FXGear has been actively involved in businesses using AR and VR technologies, getting more than 90 percent of its sales from these sectors as of last year. The firm is especially producing fruitful results in AR thanks to its virtual fitting program FXMirror.

When a person stands in front of the FXMirror, it measures the person's height and body shape and displays the person wearing a virtual garment. People can experience the FXMirror here as it is installed in Lotte Department Store.

With its AR technology, FXGear is expanding into China. The firm established a joint corporation Chixing Network Technology last year and has been exporting its virtual fitting program to Chinese e-commerce giant JD.Com. With FXGear's mobile virtual fitting service "Fit'N SHOP," customers using the JD.Com mobile shopping app can quickly browse various styles of clothes on their customized avatars.

FXGear also signed a contract with Chinese display maker Weiguan in May to supply it with 50,000 FXMirror software programs by 2020. With the contract, the firm said virtual fitting machines powered by FXMirror software will be installed at around 10,000 clothing stores in China.

"Among the emerging technologies, we have especially put our focus on the AR business. In China, customers who purchase their garments online account more than 50 percent of all purchases. When purchasing clothes online, people want to know if it fits. I believe FXMirror's mobile version can help customers find this out," Choi said.

Though there have been many companies that have developed AR-based changing rooms, those products took a lot of time to convert clothes to 3D.

"The previous virtual fitting technologies developed by other companies needed three to five hours to create a 3D database for a garment and this cost about $100 on average. But FXMirror takes less than 10 minutes and about $3 to make virtual clothes," Choi said.

"In the fashion industry, it is essential to roll out various kinds of garments per season. Many other companies in the virtual fitting room business have failed to meet the demands of fashion companies as their products take too much time and money. Using our AR technology, fashion firms can offer an enhanced customer experience," Choi said.

Although the firm has produced profitable results mainly in China, Choi said he has received inquiries from companies in Japan and Europe seeking to use the Seoul-based firm's virtual fitting room.

"We have made progress with a Japanese fashion brand for exporting our virtual fitting technology. I hope we can make an announcement about it in the near future," Choi said.

Choi said industries are putting more focus on AR, which is easier to apply to various kinds of businesses compared to VR.

"Users are required to wear bulky headsets to enjoy VR content. However, AR doesn't need a headset. That's the biggest benefit of AR," Choi said.

"I think AR can play a role in shopping. Shopping is essential to us. People have to buy something for living. I believe AR can enhance the shopping process. For instance, businesses currently use AR to help customers visualize how products will look in their homes."

In the VR business, FXGear has been selling its VR headset NOON since 2015. Choi said it has been been received well in North America.

"We have been supplying our NOON VR headset to the U.S. and Canada. The device is available at electronics retail chain Best Buy and Amazon. We are the third company to supply a VR headset to Best Buy following Samsung Electronics' Gear and Google's Daydream," Choi said. "The NOON VR also received the Innovation Award in VR technology at this year's Consumer Electronics Show. These factors prove the NOON VR has been recognized well in the sector."

Speaking of the future of VR and AR content, Choi said there would be new form of visual content using these emerging technologies.

"Currently there are some movies using VR technology. But the technology used in the film is just to help audiences feel the visual content more vividly. It is not interactive," Choi said.

"Even though VR and AR technologies are emerging at a rapid pace, I think film content won't disappear. Instead, I think a new form of visual content utilizing VR and AR will be created, and this will be more interactive so that audiences can decide what happens next," Choi said.

Choi also emphasized the strength of FXGear comes from its technological prowess that can quickly be converted to emerging technologies.

"The more technology advances, the more business chances we have. This is because we can develop high quality software programs for new and emerging technologies. If holographic technology becomes real in the near future, we could develop the right tool for it at the right time," Choi said.