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Amazing AR demo shows us the exciting future of Apple Glasses. We didn't see Apple's AR/VR headset at WWDC 2022 this summer.
The long-awaited device could finally debut in January, according to a reliable analyst.
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Meanwhile, Apple continues to develop its augmented reality technology. One thing Apple showed developers at WWDC was a new RoomPlan API, and earlier this week Shopify's Russ Maschmeyer demonstrated an awesome AR feature using the API.
This feature allows users to view furniture and room layouts in AR, which could revolutionize the way people shop for furniture online.
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The ability to see how a piece of furniture would look in your home before purchasing it is an incredibly useful and exciting feature for consumers.
With innovations in AR, like those demonstrated by Shopify, and the imminent arrival of Apple Glasses, the future of augmented reality looks increasingly promising and revolutionary.
Integrating AR technologies into eCommerce applications can fundamentally change the online shopping experience, making it more interactive, informative and immersive.
We look forward to the launch of Apple Glasses and the exciting possibilities they will bring to AR technology.
Shopify's Space Eraser uses Apple's RoomPlan API
One of the first use cases for augmented reality was interior design. For example, the IKEA app allows you to place furniture in a room using AR.
The feature allows you to see what a sofa, chair or table will look like in your home before you buy it.
As Tele verge notes, the IKEA app also allows you to erase furniture from a room, but the resulting image is in 2D. Using Apple's RoomPlan API, Shopify was able to create a similar feature.
They call this the “reset button” and it is much more advanced than the IKEA feature:
As Russ explains, Space Eraser “models spaces in high fidelity – capturing objects that define the environment, their size, position, orientation.” Live pixel data is combined with depth data from a LiDAR scanner on an iPhone or iPad.
The result is a “realistic digital twin of your room that can be overlaid onto your real space using AR and then edited digitally”.
The integration of technologies such as augmented reality (AIR) in e-commerce applications is revolutionizing the way consumers interact and make purchasing decisions.
The ability to view products in a realistic environment before purchasing increases consumer confidence and reduces the need for returns.
However, successful implementation of these technologies is not without challenges. Real-time texture data collection, as mentioned by russ, is just one of the many obstacles developers face when creating immersive and accurate AR experiences.
Despite the challenges, companies like Shopify are leading the way in finding innovative solutions to these problems.
Smart use of AR technology not only improves customer experience but also drives sales and brand loyalty.
As AR technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see more ecommerce apps adopting these functionalities to improve the online shopping experience.
The future of eCommerce looks exciting and full of possibilities thanks to innovations like AR.
