The evolution of online shopping brings about continual improvement in customer service. Logistics can make or break the customer experience and it's important to get consumers what they want. In the case of footwear, it's the correct fit the first time. With this in mind, an innovation team at Intel (a team that evangelizes Intel products by seeking partnership opportunities to disrupt new markets) wanted to develop a customer measurement tool for shoes and boots. Intel teamed up with Tactile to conceptualize a four-camera foot scanner using Intel's RealSense™ camera technology. It would be used to obtain foot and leg measurements within a retail environment.

Using Intel's consumer research, our design team identified two user experience architectures for using the foot scanner: (a) a sales-assisted model that's a guided experience with an expert user, and (b) an unassisted, self-service experience where customers interact with an attached touchscreen or remote device. Knowing that brick and mortar retailers are looking to elevate the physical shopping experience, Intel opted to pursue the sales-assisted model.

Intel wanted a functional proof of concept to demonstrate the RealSense™ technology at trade shows. Tactile designed a fully functional prototype, which needed to provide the proper strength and overall design validation, while minimizing the weight for transportation to retailers and exhibitions.

Tactile's deep expertise in engineering and design led the team through building product mock-ups, structural analysis on the proposed design—to ensure it would be safe for a retail environment—and used CAD simulation to accurately position cameras. The color, materials and finishes (CMF) were developed with durability in mind, something that's critical in a retail environment.