ARGlass

Inspiration

1 in 7 people who need glasses can't afford them through traditional channels like in-person stores. Fortunately, glasses sold online are 50 to 75% cheaper than similar glasses sold in-store. However, only 4% of glasses are purchased online because currently, people are unable to try on glasses without going to an in-person store.

AR Glasses was made to address this problem. With AR Glasses, users can try on glasses in AR before buying them, allowing people who can't afford glasses in-store to confidently buy glasses online. This helps expand access to glasses to the least privileged people of society.

In addition to having social impact, we were also inspired by the current environmental problems caused by shipping to create AR Glasses. Shipping is responsible for 18% of air pollutants and emits 940 million tons of CO2 annually. By allowing users to try on glasses in AR before purchasing them, we ensure that each customer is happy with the look of the glasses before ordering them, helping to reduce shipping and returning.

What it does

With AR Glasses, finding the perfect pair of glasses online is easier than ever before. Using AR Glasses, users complete a 30-second questionnaire asking about gender, preferred shape, preferred color and preferred frame width. Based on the user's input in the questionnaire, AR Glasses's algorithms generate personalized recommendations on what glasses to buy. The user can then select any pair of glass to try on in AR. Once a user is happy with a pair of glasses, they can buy it through the AR Glasses app.

How I built it

We used XCode, an IDE, to design the user interface of the app and to code, test, and debug the app. We used Swift, a programming language, to develop the basic functionality of the app, like personalized recommendations. We used Reality Composer to design 3D models of the glasses so they can be used in augmented reality. We used ARKit to power the facial feature detection and placement of glasses onto face for augmented reality.

Challenges I ran into

The first big challenge we ran into was finding a way to detect the face and place the glasses on the face in AR. Our solution was to use ARKit, an API that automatically did this for us. Our second major challenge was finding 3D models of glasses to use in AR. Out solution was to manually create 3D models of glasses with Reality Composer.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

It was the first time any of us were implementing AR in an app, so we're extremely proud that we were able to create an app integrating AR. We are also proud of our 3D models of glasses that we designed based off 2D images of the model of glasses. Lastly, we're proud of the personalized recommendations feature of our app, which we designed to help users choose the perfect pair of glasses for them.

What I learned

We learned how to use ARKit and how to integrate it into an iOS app. More generally, we learned how to create mobile apps that use AR as a core part of its functionality. We also learned how to use Reality Composer to design 3D models for augmented reality. We also gained a lot of experience using XCode and Swift through this project.

What's next for AIGlass

We plan to expand the number of glasses available on ARGlasses. We also hope to potentially partner with major glasses retailers to allow their customers to try on glasses in AR before purchasing them online.

Built With

• arkit
• swift