Choose Your Next Pair of Glasses Using 3D and an iPad

I never buy a pair of glasses without the help of Ingrid, the young woman who works in my local optical store and appraises different styles on my face. But Glasses.com wants to replace Ingrid in my life — with an app.

The soon-to-be-released app Glasses.com 3D Fit from Glasses.com, a new venture from 1-800-Contacts, lets you see, through augmented reality, how dozens of pairs of glasses look on your 3D model. CEO Jonathan Coon says the app creates an accurate 3D model of your face, allowing you to see how you look in various styles of frames from different angles.

Here's how it works: Using an iPad, you take a video of your face while rotating your head to the left and then the right. It then quickly creates a 3D rendering of my face from both sides. Rather than go through the online catalog and then choose the glasses to show on my face, I instantly see the selection as it looks on me, along with the brand and price. I can scroll through them all on my iPad or click on any of them to get more info on colors and selection, or add to my favorites. Read more...