未来购物体验:3D打印和AR增强现实

 

These days, shopping often involves an Internet connection and a laptop or smartphone. However, businesses are now trying to use new technology, such as 3D printing and augmented¹ reality, to bring customers back into stores.

At the recent National Retail² Federation³ show in New York City, many companies demonstrated these new technologies. One, the computer company Intel, is experimenting with 3D printing. It is using the Mach 2XS commercial printer.

Instead of printing words on paper, the Mach 2XS prints clothes. For example, it uses thread to print out a sweater. It prints the sweater out row by row, until it is fully⁴ formed.

Ryan Parker is the general manager of Responsive Retail at Intel. He says the 3D printers print out clothing, made just for the individual in size and style, in about 45 minutes.

Bringing consumers back to stores

More and more consumers shop online. But young people still seem to like going to physical stores. A recent study shows that 67 percent of people between ages 13 to 21 shop in physical stores most of the time. The IBM Institute for Business Value and the National Retail Federation did the study.

A London-based company, Ads Reality, is trying to use augmented-reality, or AR technology in stores. Augmented reality is a technology that creates computer-generated images and projects them in a way that they look real.

“When it’s used in the right way, it’s a very powerful tool to drive mobile engagement⁵ and store traffic,” said Richard Corps⁶, managing director.

The company’s latest product is an “AR Window.” It superimposes life-sized augmented-reality characters on big screens in store windows.

“It looks like those characters are actually inside the store ... it stops people outside the store because they’re amazed to see these characters ... and then it drives them inside the store because they want to have their photograph taken with these characters,” Corps said.

Customer service robots

Customer service robots might also become a common store experience. The New York company Autonomous⁷ is experimenting with customer service robots. These wheeled devices include a Wi-Fi connection to a real person who can be seen on the robot’s screen.

Robots in a hardware store, for example, could be operated from anywhere by experts in different fields, like plumbing⁸ or electrical wiring.

Autonomous chief Duy Huynh says the robots can make the shopping experience personal.

“With our technology, when you walk into a store one of our robots will approach you and behind the robot, [it’s] going to bring someone who knows your shopping habits, who has been helping⁹ you for the past six months, who knows what you need, to talk to you. So to us that’s really, really important and that’s the very first time you can actually do personalization offline.”

Words in This Story

amaze – v. to fill someone with wonder.

augmented reality – n. a technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world.

3D printing – n. the process of making a physical object from a three-dimensional digital model.

character – n. a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show.

consumer – n. a person who buys goods and services.

customer – n. someone who buys goods or services from a business.

product – n. something that is made or grown to be sold or used.

robot – n. a real or imaginary machine that is controlled by a computer and is often made to look like a human or animal.

thread – n. a long, thin piece of cotton, silk, etc., used for sewing.

superimpose – v. to place or lay something over something else.

sweater – n. a warm usually knitted¹⁰ piece of clothing for the upper part of your body.

1 Augmented   

adj.增音的 动词augment的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• 'scientists won't be replaced," he claims, "but they will be augmented." 他宣称：“科学家不会被取代；相反，他们会被拓展。” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• The impact of the report was augmented by its timing. 由于发表的时间选得好，这篇报导的影响更大了。

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

3 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 engagement   

n.订婚，婚约，约定，约会

参考例句：

• I can't see you on Monday because I have a previous engagement.星期一我不能见你，因为我有约在先。
• It was my mother's very own engagement ring.这正是我母亲自己的订婚戒指。

6 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

8 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 knitted   

v.（使）愈合( knit的过去式和过去分词 )；编结；（使）紧密地结合；织平针

参考例句：

• I knitted this cardigan myself. 我自己织的这件开襟毛衣。
• Our two nations are knitted together by common concerns. 共同关心的问题使我们两国团结一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》