The South Korean technology giant on Tuesday unveiled a pair of such displays — a 55-inch transparent OLED screen and a 55-inch mirror screen — at Retail Asia Expo 2015 in Hong Kong.
Samsung demonstrated the capabilities of the screens by using them to create a virtual display of necklaces made by the Chow Sang Sang jewelry company. The company said the displays could also let shoppers virtually “try on” clothing, shoes and jewelry.
The new displays represent “the next wave of digital signage advancement” that will bring “a new interactive dimension to the world of multi-channel shopping,” according to Oseung Yang, Vice President of the Samsung Display Company. The company is not yet providing any information on when the displays will be available commercially, or how much they will cost.
‘Immersive’ Experience with Intel RealSense
Both the transparent and mirror displays use Intel’s RealSense computing technology that combines 3D imaging, gesture control as well as multiple lenses and cameras to provide interactive and immersive experiences. The 3D camera, for example, allows users to control and adjust displays, and even change the backgrounds on real-world images, with touch-free motion tracking.
The RealSense platform will enable businesses that use Samsung’s new displays to “deliver highly differentiated, exquisitely personalized experiences,” said Jose Avalos, worldwide visual retail director of the Retail Solutions Division of Intel’s Internet of Things group.
Samsung integrated Intel’s RealSense technology into its new displays with the help of Mirum, a startup digital agency that specializes in the digital retail, behavioral media and financial services sectors.
Screens Could Replace Home Mirrors
Businesses that adopt Samsung’s transparent and mirror displays will be able to let customers “self-model” any product by creating virtual fitting rooms on the OLED displays. Samsung said the mirror screen could also one day replace standard mirrors in people’s homes, allowing users to access digital information while they view their own reflections.
The mirror OLED offers a reflectance level that’s at least 50 percent greater than the mirror LCD displays that are currently available in limited markets, Samsung said. It also delivers a faster response time — 1 millisecond versus 8 milliseconds — than existing LCD displays, according to the company.
The transparent display features full HD video playback that, combined with the RealSense 3D viewing system, and can visually accentuate the screen’s gesture and voice controls, according to Samsung. It also offers 40 percent more transparency than comparable see-through LCD displays and provides better clarity in a wider range of viewing angles, the company noted.
Some retailers are already taking interactive mirror displays for test drives in their fitting rooms. Nordstrom, for instance, is trying out eBay’s smart mirror technology at stores in Seattle and San Jose, and Bloomingdale’s is testing wall-mounted iPads at several of its outlets.