Now that our mobile phones have cameras, music players, what is the next must-have application that will be added? If HP has any input into this, it could be a new colour matching technology to help match complimentary colours. HP is prototyping this technology with mobile phones and shows how it could help consumers. As an example, HP shows how this technology could help women pick out shades of makeup. Instead of sitting down with a consultant at a beauty counter – or puzzling over similar-looking shades in the store – consumers take their own photos and send these via MMS (multimedia message) to a backend computer system. The system locates the consumer’s face within the image and corrects color the image for camera and lighting discrepancies. The image is then compared to an existing database of previously captured and analyzed images of skin tones of real people. In a matter of seconds, the consumer receives a text message response, with a recommendation on the shade of foundation that best matches her complexion.
"Mobile color match technology is potentially a very important innovation," said Crawford Del Prete, senior vice president, IDC. "As it is applied to different scenarios, it will give customers the ability to accomplish tasks that before were left to guesswork or were simply not possible without experts."
HP is now looking to partner with retailers and consumer goods companies to make the technology available to consumers.