FIGURE 5: Augmented reality mirrors make it possible for shoppers
to virtually “try on” clothing, thereby potentially improving revenue for
retailers. This technology demands more compute power at the location.
FIGURE 6: Many companies are competing in the agriculture space,
where farmers are using comprehensive data about their fields to make
informed decisions about planning, irrigation, and harvesting.
October/November/December 2020 I 33
for advantages they can leverage to provide
a competitive edge. A lot of the innovations
driving this competitive edge require a significant
amount of additional compute power
at the retail location.
• Augmented reality (AR) mirrors can
show shoppers how they look in different
clothing without physically trying
them on (Figure 5).
Amazon has patented a mirror that
dresses viewers in virtual clothes.
Magic Mirror is an independent free-
standing console with a digital screen
that allows people to try on different
outfits using simple hand gestures.
• Coca-Cola Freestyle machines have
servers attached to them that collect
and process customer preferences
on site; it then sends information
to the cloud.
• Amazon Go stores that are brick and
mortar enable customers to grab items
off the shelves and simply leave by using
technologies, such as computer vision,
sensor fusion and deep learning.2
Agriculture
Smart farms are becoming the standard in today’s
ultra-competitive agricultural landscape. Any
advantage that can be obtained by technology
is directly attributable to higher yields, thereby
resulting in higher profits. Many companies are
competing in this space to provide farmers with
the best and most comprehensive data about
their fields. This is allowing farmers to make
informed decisions about planting, irrigation,
and harvesting based on multiple data sources,
which include direct sensor data from the fields
and even satellite data (Figure 6).