How can AR improve your product visualization?

Absolutely agree, as an example, we have AR projects for machinery, and that's the case: as a manufacturer, you can't take all the new equipment to be showcased at a fair, so you simply update & print a product catalog. Your customers take this "tome" featuring thousands of looking-alike machines, tools, and simply cannot get what is the difference:) We all know that not every customer will ask, and sales team can be booked with meetings. AR added to the stand/ product catalog drives customer's attention to features and benefits, provides a memorable interaction with the product, relaxes the negotiating process (equipment in AR can be even more engaging than IRL), and also saves logistics costs:)

While I am in full agreement with the view there are industry specific use-cases that will need further localization as people want greater product choices, signaling the end of a one-size-fits-all approach. Lifesciences and Digital Therapeutics (Dtx) can benefit 1) Before procurement, medical devices can be displayed in granular detail giving high customization capability and enabling clear product visuals and functions 2) Head mounted wearables helping minimally invasive surgeries using robotic procedures 3) Wound assessment using integrated AR devices + AI trained models demonstrating wound progression 4) Help device + care delivery ecosystem of Dtx by visualization of home health products The list is endless and future seems bright!

In our experience, we created an AR showcase for a new car product launch, allowing customers to view the car in their own surroundings, like their garage or driveway. It eliminates the need for customers to visit showrooms, engage with salespeople, and saves them valuable time and expenses. AR not only grabs their attention with product features but also creates a memorable interaction and enhances the overall customer experience.

The level of immersion and options of interaction with digital objects, also using haptics we can achieve in available hardware is satisfactory enough so any exhibitor can recalculate the costs of expensive product stands in favor of nearly unlimited options of building showcase environments in XR. Realistic models and the interactive scenarios you can build in the likes of Microsoft HoloLens can surely be used not only for lasting impressions, but for increasing sales effectivity, too. Showcasing in AR is one of few reasonable and feasible cases where XR applies, really - mostly due to hardware limitations and lack of work environment certifications.

I think the most important and unique aspects of AR for visualization is true, real world scale and positioning. No other approach, other than having the real product with you, gives you a more accurate sense of how a product looks in all three dimensions.

AR can also provide personalized recommendations based on customer preferences and previous interactions. It can define the viewpoint, to represent the visual at which the consumer judges the compatibility of the virtual product with the surrounding real-world environment. This provides the basis to suggest products with better style and colour compatibility with the surrounding real objects. For example, if you are looking at a piece of furniture that would go with your decor or wall to match your decor or background, it would suggest different options that would suit the space better.

Product configuration and personalization is not exclusive to AR. But being able to do that type of customization on what feels like a real world object and easily visualize it in your real world environment is a unique aspect of AR visualization.

AR can also provide customization and personalization with real-world objects, although AR as a technology is evolving it won't be wrong to say that, soon AR will help consumers to try customization and personalization on their existing products and then it will drive them to buy new products.

Playing with product visualization using augmented reality can exceed the boldest expectations. Let's consider a few practical examples. You come to a new restaurant. Imagine that you see every dish in augmented reality. You won't go wrong with your choice! And if they also show you the ingredients and composition because you're watching your calories? You'll definitely fall in love with this place. You bought a book about Space for your child. Opening it, they don't just look at pictures but see visualizations of Black Holes, planets, and other cosmic things right in front of them. By the way, did you know that augmented reality increases engagement in content by 45%, which is why it's so effective in marketing, education, and more?

I personally believe that this is one of the keys to success. It's not just about showcasing objects in real-time within a physical space using Augmented Reality (AR) – which can be a passive experience, but also about enabling interactivity, creating an active and engaged user experience. Users should have the ability to customize textures, sizes, and more without the need to constantly switch between AR and 2D interfaces. We are in the era of extended reality and spatial computing, which fosters active engagement.

Comparing items or products from simple to complex. Imagine that you need to show a comparison of the sizes of one product, for example, a gift box. Using the Stencil plugin (often used in web AR), you can add 4-6 variations of the product to the card. Your customer can see different options with a simple hand movement, and immediately compare them as if they were standing side by side on a store shelf. Or you can use humor and compare items to something whose size leaves no doubt. In one of the AR experiments, exotic animals were compared to the size of an elephant or the Eiffel Tower. Be creative

AR in the restaurant industry can enhance the process of choosing restaurant menu items by providing customers with interactive and visual information that makes the decision-making process more engaging and informed. AR can help restaurants provide Interactive menu visualization, dish presentation, ingredient information, nutritional and allergy information, recommended pairings, viewing customer reviews and ratings, daily specials and promotions, provide language translation, and ordering and payment integrations. The foodservice industry has not even begun to scratch the surface of the "possible" and when (not if) they do, there will be an explosion of development for these features and more.

When it comes to home improvement or interior design, augmented reality is like your creative companion, helping you visualize the potential beauty of your upcoming changes. Whether you're contemplating a fresh kitchen layout, exploring various flooring alternatives, or envisioning a bathroom revamp that exudes sophistication, AR allows you to witness these stunning metamorphoses before making any commitments. It's important to note that this is just one small use case, as there are countless ways AR can assist you in various aspects of life and business. AR's versatility opens up a realm of diverse applications, promising endless possibilities.

AR helps in comparing your product to alternatives, highlighting advantages and differences. It allows customers to assess quality, durability, performance, and pricing with competitors, or with feature variations. This interactive tool empowers informed decision-making.

AR enhances real-world experiences by overlaying digital content, while VR immerses users in a simulated environment. AR is interactive and merges with reality, often used for product visualization, whereas VR creates a fully immersive digital experience mainly for simulation and gaming. AR uses devices like smartphones and smart glasses, while VR requires a headset for an immersive experience.

AR can also be used to bring virtual spokespeople, celebrities, and sales people into the homes of customers where they can then provide information and even have a conversation with consumers about the product. There virtual people can be digital avatars, 2D video, or volumetric video (often called holograms).

AR has particular value to add in this space with respect to assembly instructions. While IKEA line-drawings for furniture assembly are beautifully executed, being able to see an actual animation of a digital replica of your furniture assembling itself has distinct advantages. It's far more literal, comprehensible and easy to follow. Layering in interactivity enables people to step forward and back through key stages at will while viewing from different angles, a distinct advantage over not just print but video, too. As hardware (glasses) and recognition software (object detection) improve, this need not be over a digital replica itself - but over the actual physical pieces, showing you how to assemble the explicit furniture, step by step.

Think about if you were given the task to explain how a large hydrogen generator worked and how all the parts and pieces come together. You could say in words pretty simply "They take water and run electricity through it and hydrogen gas is created. But what if you wanted to dive deeper or do it on a larger production scale? You can Educate and Inform at a much deeper level in AR because you can be immersed in the hydrogen generator. You can see things that normal humans would not be able to see like fluid and gas flows. You can look around and see what parts accomplish what task. And even walk through the whole process step by step without the need for a guided tour or an expert there to explain.

An aspect of product visualization I’m very hopeful about is reducing returns. Returns cost retailers hundreds of billions of dollars yearly. Delivery trucks doing returns also impact a retailer’s carbon footprint. While e-commerce has been show to have a lower overall carbon footprint than in-store, product visualization makes the footprint even lower. Product visualization achieves this by increasing confidence before the customer hits the buy button. Studies have shown that customers are 2/3 less likely to return an item. Shopify has reported a 40% lowering of returns among merchants who use AR. Fighting climate change is the challenge of these times. Product visualization can be one small piece of the fight that’s actionable today.

Using AR we can provide customers with insightful information about the product. For example, for complex electronics or machinery, it can offer step-by-step assembly guides or explanations of product features, enhancing their understanding and trust in your product quality and standards.

If you use certain webAR/webXR platforms to create AR content, you can easily make it "seasonal" to match your product or offering. For example, during Christmas, you can change it to something related to Santa Claus and Christmas trees, and on Valentine's Day, you can incorporate hearts and cupids. This way, you can keep bringing your customers back to engage with your product consistently. By enhancing their loyalty to the brand and increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases.

Introducing gamification elements into your AR experience can make it more engaging for consumers. In AR we can create mini-games, puzzles, or quizzes related to the product. Offering rewards and incentives for participation drives customers to your platform and keeps them engaged.

AR is a fantastic means to entertain and delight your customers with your product, forging lasting emotional connections. AR infuses fun, surprise, humor, or gamification into the experience. For instance, customers can interact with your product, triggering responses to gestures, voice, or movement. Challenges, rewards, and incentives can further entice exploration. AR elevates the engagement and satisfaction of customers, fostering deeper interest, trust, and loyalty in your product, ensuring they have a memorable and enjoyable experience.

AR adds excitement by merging digital elements with the real world, creating entertaining experiences. VR immerses users in captivating virtual environments, delighting them with immersive adventures. Both technologies offer novel ways to bring joy and entertainment to users.

Simplicity in deploying an Augmented Reality experience that can be triggered with an image or QR and using a smartphone makes it more powerful than Virtual Reality. This has allowed many brands to embed AR experience in their physical product like Coca-Cola can. Brands don't have to worry about if the user is able to try that experience.

The true benefit of AR is integrating with the "as-built" environment for the intended use of the product. For personal use this could be a couch that you want to fit into your living room or a new piece of equipment like an oven, fan, or boiler that you want to retrofit. AR is an unparalleled planning tool for installation before you start the work with huge applications to commercial and industrial settings.

Augmented Reality (AR) can significantly enhance product visualization by providing interactive and immersive experiences for users. Here are ways AR can improve product visualization: 1. Virtual Try-On 2. 3D Product Visualization 3. Contextual Visualization 4. Product Customization 5. Remote Assistance 6. Spatial Planning 7. Interactive Manuals 8. Enhanced Marketing 9. Training and Education 10. Real-Time Data Visualization 11. Gamification 12. Analytics and Feedback Overall, AR enhances product visualization by bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds, providing a more immersive and informative experience for consumers and businesses alike.

While AR offers innovative and immersive experiences, its reach is somewhat limited by the technological prerequisites needed to support it. Not all smartphones, especially older models or those in the lower-cost range, have the necessary hardware and software capabilities to effectively run AR applications. This limitation can hinder the widespread adoption and utilization of AR technology, confining its benefits to users who have access to more advanced devices. Consequently, while AR has vast potential across numerous domains, its impact is curtailed by the accessibility and technological disparities present in the global smartphone market.

In my experience working on AR apps, big thing was understanding of the scale and proportion of the 3D space where the scene will be projected. It turned out that UI elements designed conservatively perform better because glassmorphism and other such UI styles can be rendered poorly with different AR surroundings.

Many companies already possess detailed projects or CAD designs intrinsic to their workflow, ripe for conversion into digital twins. This seamless transition can harness the full potency of AR, often at minimal cost. Regrettably, this opportunity frequently goes unrecognized, representing a significant oversight. Tapping into these pre-existing resources not only optimizes investments but also propels product visualization into the future. It's high time businesses awaken to this latent potential and capitalize on the AR revolution.