Man in the mirror gets new view

A lonely software developer keen to meet girls has used his knowledge of bio-mechanics to design a new system aimed at changing the way consumers purchase clothes.
The system, dubbed U-C-U as others do, is a modern take on the great bastion of all fashion accessories - the mirror - that offers customers a complete 360 degree view of themselves.
The $14,000 system, developed by a New Zealand-based motion analysis software company, uses a small high definition video camera mounted in front of a viewing mirror to capture video images of whoever is standing in front. It then projects the delayed images onto a 30-inch LCD screen set alongside. It also allows instore sales staff to allocate each customer an on-screen folder and then save clips of that person's selection so all of the clips can be replayed and compared later.
For privacy reasons, the unit is pre-programmed to delete all clips at the end of the day.
U-C-U business development manager Tracey Neale said the software behind the new units, which have generated significant media coverage across the Tasman, was initially designed by the software company for use by athletes keen to get instant feedback on their technique.
However a nameless single staff member having difficulty making new acquaintances outside of work saw potential to use the technology for something more "glamorous" than sport.
"He wanted a new way to meet women. That's how he came up with the idea," Neale admitted.
Several years in development, U-C-U has now been trialed in stores in Annah S and Unity stores in Auckland, Dunedin and Queenstown, and officially launched at the Auckland Fashion Source tradeshow yesterday (October 20).
Neale said the company was currently working on introducing the product to the international market while also fine-tuning its technology to allow the images to be emailed or burnt to CD.