If you’ve ever tried to use augmented reality tools built with Apple’s ARKit or Google’s ARCore to measure real-world objects, you know that you’ll be lucky to get within an inch of their actual sizes — estimates that are of no practical value when measuring, say, the shoe sizes of feet. So when Nike (via CNBC) says that it has developed technology that will let its eponymous app achieve sub-2-millimeter accuracy in fitting shoes, that’s a big step forward.
This July, Nike plans to add Nike Fit technology to its iPhone app and some retail stores, using multiple tricks to properly measure any user’s foot. Using a series of photographs combined with AI and machine learning software, the technology begins by capturing an image of the floor next to a wall, then uses AR to generate a virtual “stand here” dot so you can snap an image of your feet standing against the wall. Thirteen data points are then used to determine the length and width of each foot, resulting in a shoe size recommendation.
The word “determine” is more appropriate than “estimate” in this case because the measurements are — thanks to machine training — accurate within roughly a millimeter of actual size. That’s more than enough to properly fit a shoe to your needs, and hints at a future where other AR developers’ apps will be able to achieve similar measurement precision, at least when presented with solid reference points and properly trained on examples.
Is shoe sizing that much of a problem? Nike points to research that a staggering three out of five people are wearing the wrong shoe size, as well as the high costs of returning merchandise to retailers. While Nike+ customers can typically return shoes for free, retailers eat shipping and restocking expenses, indirectly driving prices up.
Nike is rolling out the Nike Fit feature within the app and some of its U.S. retail stores first; sales associates will handle the scanning for customers in stores. European locations will get the feature later this summer. It’s unclear if and when Android device users will get access to the technology.
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Jeremy Horwitz, BruceDayne
