Amazon To Open High-Tech Hair Salon In London, Features Augmented Reality App

Amazon has announced its plan of joining the hairdressing industry with its new high-tech hair salon in London's Spitalfields.

Amazon Salon boasts their special mirrors that use an augmented reality technology that will show customers how they would look with new hair color or style before the hairdresser lifts a finger, The Verge reported.

The bricks-and-mortar 'experiential' venue is set over two floors and takes up 1,500 square feet. At first, it will only be available to Amazon staff but will take bookings from the public in the coming weeks.

Amazon Salon In London

Amazon will offer traditional hairdressing, which will be manned by the independent London-based salon Neville Hair & Beauty, alongside their 'point-and-learn' technology for a high-tech experience.

According to MailOnline, Amazon Salon also allow people to purchase products directly from Amazon to their homes by scanning QR codes that are displayed on the shelves.

Moreover, customers will also be able to enjoy watching films on Fire tablets that are at each station. Amazon said that they do not plan yet as of now to expand the concept to other locations. Also, the e-commerce giant has not yet released a price list.

This high-tech salon comes after Amazon launched its professional beauty section on its website. Earlier, they also launched Amazon Fresh that can be used by anyone with an Amazon account, the app, and a phone, The Guardian reported.

It is cashier-less but sensors on the shelves detect an item that has been removed from the shelves and cameras are backed by artificial intelligence to monitor each person's movements around the store and the goods they get. The bill will automatically be charged to the shopper's Amazon account when they leave the store.

What is Augmented Reality?

Augmented reality (AR) technology lets its users see real-life environments right in front of them, according to The Franklin Institute. Like dogs chasing balls, or kids playing soccer, or trees swaying in the park.

Google also uses AR technology, offering augmented reality of dinosaurs, animals, and even ghosts that users can experience even at the comfort of their homes.

The advances of AR technology are mostly readily available and being used in various ways, like Snapchat lenses that help find a car in a crowded parking lot, and in several shopping apps that let people try on clothes without even leaving the house and going to physical stores.

One of the most famous AR technology applications is Pokemon Go released in 2016 that quickly became viral, wherein users or players could locate and capture Pokemon characters that pop up in their surroundings.

Now, Amazon will also be using the same technology to offer a high-tech experience to their customers aside from the traditional hairdressing services that most salons are offering.

Check out more news and information on Augmented Reality in Science Times.