Rehabilitation training using digital mirrors produced by Panasonic

According to foreign media reports, the new intelligent mirror changed the traditional function of the mirror, it can not only be placed at home to monitor the health of the people, display the latest information, but also in the clothing retail stores to allow customers virtual dress.

Intelligent Mirror

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall, who is the smartest mirror?

Unlike the Magic Mirror, which has disappointed the wicked queen in Snow White, the new mirror relies on sensors, cameras and flat screens to radically alter the traditional function of the mirror. These "intelligent" mirrors, combined with digital components, become devices that monitor the health of the body, devices that allow customers to dress up in the store, and screens that track the latest information.

Daniel McDuff of MIT has helped develop a new mirror that can be used to test the heartbeat of the Macduff.

The trend is that everything will become smarter through Internet connectivity and digital technology, and mirrors are the product of this development trend. Mirrors are visible in almost every building with a bathroom. They usually occupy quite a lot of space. And, most importantly, in today's too-distracting world, when people stand in front of a mirror, they tend to focus on what they see.

"The mirror has not changed much since. "Ming-zher Poh, a graduate student at MIT, said Fumingzhe. He developed a bio-sensing system called "Medical mirrors." The medical mirror, which came out in 2010, uses cameras to monitor the slight changes in the facial gloss of people who pump blood from the heart, thereby measuring the pulse rate. It uses two mirrors to reflect, allowing people to see the pulse rate readings on the computer screen behind the mirror.

Fumingzhe, now co-founder of Boston's Cardiio, has said he wants to use the biometric technology to develop an app that measures the heartbeat rate for Apple's iphone.

Daniel McDuff of MIT has helped develop a new mirror that can be used to test the heartbeat (Tencent Tech-Macduff)

Commercialization prospects

He also said he was interested in commercializing the medical mirror, but he feared it was similar to the next generation of mirrors developed by others: will people often buy new mirrors? Very little. Unlike technology products that are regularly upgraded by consumers, people tend to buy a mirror and then forget about it.

In addition, when people buy new mirrors, they usually spend less money than televisions. Most new mirrors use the same flat screen screens as today's TVs, so their prices tend to look too high. Japan electronics giant Panasonic's digital mirror was originally intended for home users, but in the end, the company decided to change to the enterprise users, because it is too expensive. In July this year, Panasonic has begun accepting orders for its digital mirrors. The product is priced at about 38,000 dollars, mainly for physical rehabilitation centers.

At the trial point of the digital Mirror at Yokohama Rehabilitation Center in Japan, the 77-year-old Takao Yamamura used the digital mirror for rehabilitation training. He had a large area of nerve damage due to spinal cord infarction. The digital mirror looks like a big TV set on a balance board that contains a digital display and an active menu.

Recently, the mountain village practiced moving its body weight from one leg to another. His physical therapist observes his movements in the digital mirror and helps him maintain the right posture. The display on the digital mirror shows the power of every action he uses. "I didn't see my posture before. And now I can see the relationship between my every move and the power I use, and that's good. ”

Bathroom smart mirror for reading News (Tencent Technology map)

Novelty Features

Japanese technology company Seraku found real estate companies and hotels interested in its networked bathroom mirrors. The mirror can act as a "one-stop" display for reading news, viewing network traffic, leaving notes for family members and tracking household water use. Users can browse different functions by simply using their hands near different parts of the mirror. This avoids using the finger to contact the mirror to stain it.

The sink contains an underground scale that can be used to measure a person's weight and send that data to the mirror's display. Seraku the computer display screen in a mirror, and uses computer processors to combine Google's (Weibo) Android applications to handle data and information.

"We want to turn old-fashioned mirrors into something new." "Hiro Miyazaki, managing director of Seraku company, said. Seraku said it had no plans to sell the product at the moment, but it did not rule out a future partnership with other companies to launch the mirror. The cost of such a mirror for small-scale production is about 12800 dollars.

Another new mirror may be suitable for clothing retail outlets. Non-grid, a Tokyo design company, has installed 12 "interactive mirrors" in Japan and London, a mirror that is not really a mirror, but rather a slim display with a high-definition camera. If a person is standing in front of the camera, the display will display his image, just like looking in the mirror.

At the diesel store in Ginza, Tokyo, consumers are even able to "virtual test" a brand of jeans. The customer stands in front of the interactive mirror, and it will take pictures of the front and back of the customer. When a customer chooses a variety of jeans, the display displays what the customer looks like after wearing the jeans of the brand. If they like the way they appear on the screen, they can send photos of the jeans to their emails or post them to Facebook and Twitter.

Non-grid's CEO, Chibos Hiroshi Koike, said the interactive mirror could also serve as a camera booth in the store, adding a little bit of fun to the consumer's shopping experience. "Until now, the shoppers ' shopping experience hasn't changed much. "With this digital technology, you can add entertainment to a mirror," says Chibos. ”