It’s not iBeacon, but uses a mix of Apple’s iBeacon technology plus their own “secret sauce,” whatever that is. What is it? VMBeacon is a new product enabling store mannequins to transmit information to shoppers about the clothes on display, via their smartphones as they browse in store or through a shop window. In other words, we are talking Wearables for mannequins
Launched by UK startup Iconeme today a VMBeacon device is installed into a mannequin but the information transmitted via the VMBeacon is not contained on the device itself but in the cloud, so it can be programmed remotely.
When a customer with an enabled app (yet to be released) is within a 100m range of the VMBeacon, they get an alert about the clothes and accessories on the shop dummy, plus prices and links to purchase the items directly from the retailer’s website, or where they can be found within the store. They can also see photos, save the look for later or share with friends.
The VMBeacon is CE & FCC approved and transmits 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Jonathan Berlin, Co-founder of Iconeme says this is a real-world application of the Internet of Things concept.
They claim it is maintenance free and has a battery life of up to three years.
All we need now is mannequin robots that can tell us what they are wearing in the voice of Scarlett Johansson.