eBay has just made an announcement about its new acquisition. In case you’re not already familiar with PhiSix, the company has created software that’s essentially a virtual changing room. Buyers can enter their height, weight and other details and the software displays an image of how items of clothing would look on you. So far, eBay has not disclosed any of the financial details.
eBay’s Vice President of Innovation and New Ventures, Steve Yankovich, says that PhiSix’s virtual changing room technology will be extremely useful to consumers. They’ll be able to get a measure of how clothes would fit when they’re shopping online. He said that consumers will experience the merchandise in a more meaningful way and this should lead to more sales – which is great news for retailers. It should also add an element of fun for the consumer.
Former research scientist for Intel, Jonathan Su, founded PhiSix in 2012. He has a PhD from Stanford University in computer science and is also one of the brains behind the simulation technology we see in films. So, aside from some of the big companies in Hollywood such as DreamWorks and ILM using this technology, shoppers and retailers can also benefit from it. Su will be joining eBay Inc and continuing to develop this virtual shopping experience with the Innovation and New Ventures Team.
