For several years, augmented reality has been prevalent in mobile applications in Europe and Asia, but only recently have companies such as WAZEincorporated this technology into real-time driver generated traffic reports and mapping overlays. Waze compiles user generated driving reports to alert groups in the Waze community about traffic speeds, accidents, and police locations via a mobile application. Augmented reality (AR) is a term for a live direct or indirect view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input, such as sound or graphics.
Recently, a company called SnapShop has incorporated augmented reality into a mobile commerce application.
The firm has done a wonderful job, launching SnapShop that highlights both IKEA and Pier One Imports’ products. The user can browse furniture by category and then select a piece that the customer finds interesting. An image of the selected furniture is then displayed in perfect proportion inside the camera view of the mobile device. The user can change color swatches of the furniture in real time, while positioning the furniture around the actual room the user desires. The social networking tie-in allows the user to take a picture of the augmented reality scenario of the furniture inside the user’s location and share that image to get feedback from friends. The selected furniture looks very realistic, and would be a great trick to play on a spouse or roommate.
As this application acts as a product aggregator for several home furnishing companies, there is no direct tie in to the company’s website on a line item basis for purchase. Instead there is a redirection to the furniture company’s mobile website, where the user must find the exact product used in SnapShop again. The mobile commerce functionality obviously has room for improvement, but the use of this tool opens up the mind to the near-future in mobile commerce application design and development. Think of the value of being able to use this augmented reality feature in industries such as:
- Fine Art Sales
- Electronic Sales
- Home Repair / Home Supplies
- Car Accessories
- Clothing
- Jewelery
The ability to view a product in its natural environment instead of on a showroom floor is a powerful sales tool, one that greatly impacts customer affinity and the connection felt by not only selecting a specific product, but taking the time to see how that product would look in its intended environment. As leaders in enterprise mobility, Smartsoft Mobile Solutions is always looking for new implementations of mobile application technology.
For More Information Check Out:
Leaders in Enterprise Mobility: Typography and Why it is Important in Mobile Application Design
Leaders in Enterprise Mobility on Mashups: How Valuable Can They Be?
Smartsoft Mobile Solutions: Predictions in Enterprise Mobility Part 2
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Tags: Augmented Reality, B2C, Enterprise Mobility, Leaders in Enterprise Mobility, Mobile Application Development, Mobile Commerce, Mobile Commerce Strategy, mobile retailing, Mobile Strategy, Product Navigation, Product Taxonomy, Smartsoft Mobile, SnapShop, Typography
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