
Taylor Alexandra Duffy is an AR/VR inventor with several patents and 10+ years experience leading immersive shopping teams.
Currently AI, ecommerce, & immersive shopping at Infinite Reality, previously computer vision at Etsy, R&D at Warby Parker.
Work
Warby Parker
Patents
1/2 of the original R&D team at Warby Parker. Listed as an inventor on granted and pending patents for all of the following projects highlighted in the "Innovating to Shape the Future of Vision" section of Warby Parker's SEC Form S-1:
Virtual Try-On: “Our Virtual Try-On tool allows you to try on glasses and sunglasses—seeing the realistic color, texture, and size of each style—with an iPhone X and above. Unlike other eyewear applications that rely on two-dimensional photos or let you arbitrarily resize frames, our Virtual Try-On tool is designed to determine how glasses truly fit on your three-dimensional face.”
Extended Sizing: “Our Research and Development, Data Science, and Product Strategy teams worked together to develop custom software that analyzes fit and tested it with volunteers across various demographics. Our data scientists then used the findings to explore how Warby Parker could be more thoughtful and inclusive of various face sizes in frame design and assortment. In 2019, after two years of researching, designing, and testing new widths, we developed a series of extended sizes (extra narrow, narrow, medium, wide, and extra wide) and applied them to our bestselling frames.”
Digital PD Tool: “Leveraging a proprietary algorithm, the Digital PD Tool measures a customer’s PD with an iPhone X and above. As a fully automated vision-powered process, it’s a quick solution for customers looking to measure their PD from home.”
Virtual Vision Test: “To make Virtual Vision Test possible, our team developed a proprietary distance estimation algorithm; the mobile app uses that new algorithm alongside Apple’s Vision framework to measure how far a user is from their phone in real time, in an effort to ensure the accuracy of their test results. This custom-built technology allows the mobile app to use their phone and offer a straightforward, streamlined user experience.”
Virtual Try-On
“The most sensible use of face-mapping tech yet” Verge
Time Best Inventions 2019 Special Mention
Webby Award Winner 2019
10 most innovative virtual & augmented reality companies of 2020, Fast Company
Featured on Apple’s Augmented Reality landing page
For more detail on the R&D behind VTO: Putting virtual glasses on a real face: Warby Parker’s Virtual Try-On placement algorithm
Virtual Vision Test
Webby Award Winner, 2022: Health & Fitness
Webby Award Nominee, 2022: Best Use of AI & Machine Learning
The most important healthcare design of 2022, Finalist, Fast Company
Extended Sizing
"In what Co-CEO Dave Gilboa calls a 'combination of art and science,' the project brought together the company’s research and development, data science and product strategy teams, who used Apple’s ARKit and TrueDepth camera to develop custom software which analyzes fit.
After analyzing thousands of people’s heads and faces, they combined the data with Warby Parker styles. Eventually, the company tested 3D-printed models with volunteers across various demographics before bringing the new glasses to market."