eCommerce via Augmented Reality: Closer Than You Think

Jack D'Errico

Jack D'Errico

Augmented Reality (AR) has the ability to revolutionize the way we advertise and shop online. AR can bring products to life by creating virtual 3D models that allow you to explore every angle and inch of the product you are browsing. This technology allows you to test colors, sizing, and overall appeal of a piece before purchasing it. Both Shopify and Apple have been taking this technology by storm and have been releasing some game-changing content over the past few months. Their technology can help your business grow by improving the customer experience during the online shopping process.

Shopify AR

Shopify AR allows customers on iOS 12 devices to view realistic and interactive versions of your products in augmented reality (AR). With AR you can provide your customers with a better sense of the size, scale, and detail of your products. The 3D Warehouse app enables AR experiences by allowing you to upload 3D models and link them to products on your store.
Apple has announced AR Quick Look, so now its feasible for 3D models to be viewable in AR directly through Safari on iOS 12 devices. Compatible devices do not need any additional headset or app but can view it directly within the browser. Deleting that extra step to use this technology is crucial to its success. AR’s integration with the browser Safari will open up many opportunities for Augmented Reality and the companies that decide to use it.

Better Experience

One of the major drawbacks from shopping online is that you cannot use your 5 senses to compare products and choose what is best for you. This technology can help bridge the gap between online consumer and the product he or she is browsing. Augmented reality will allow people to get up close and personal with a product from wherever they are browsing from. The more intimate a customer gets with a product the more likely they are to buy it.
Shopify AR will create more satisfied consumers by allowing them to visualize themselves with an accurate portrayal of the product before purchase. The consumer knows what they have purchased and will be satisfied on its arrival.

Support

Shopify AR provides an accessible toolkit for businesses to create their own AR experiences, including our services marketplace of 3D modeling partners, the 3D Warehouse App to store your models, and an easy way to add AR Quick Look support to your store.

How to Use Shopify AR

AR gives you the ability to give your customers an improves the sense of scale, size, and specifications of your product offerings.
Product photo angles
 
The 3D Warehouse app enables AR experiences by allowing you to upload 3D models and link them to products on your store. This allows for complete customization of the buying experience. Adding this to your sales strategy has the potential to yield massive spikes in conversion quickly. This technology is new and sophisticated but it is easier to set up than one may think…
Step 1: Install the 3D Warehouse app
Step 2: Get 3D models of your products
Step 3: Add a 3D model to the 3D Warehouse app
Step 4: Edit your theme to enable AR Quick Look
Step 5: Add the AR badge to your 3D products
A complete guide can be found here

ARKit 2

Apple has pushed the boundaries in many spaces of technology. Their push into augmented reality started with the release of the mobile operating software ARKit.  They continue to do so here with the second release of their new augmented reality tools. They have made major updates that will create many opportunities for companies and consumers alike.
ar augmented reality shopify
 
Build unparalleled augmented reality experiences for hundreds of millions of users on iOS — the biggest AR platform in the world. With ARKit 2 on iOS 12, your AR apps can now be experienced by multiple users simultaneously and resumed at a later time in the same state.
You can also incorporate real-world objects into your AR experiences, giving your users even greater immersive opportunities.

Continuous AR Experiences

Now your apps can provide AR experiences that persist between sessions, and can be resumed at a later time. Users can start an AR puzzle on a table and come back to it later in the same state, or tackle an interior decorating project over multiple days without having to start over.

Shared Experiences

Image result for arkit 2 gaming
 
AR apps are no longer limited to a single person or device participating at one time.  This means that two or more people can see and interact with the same AR app or game using different devices at the same time.
Bystanders can even spectate AR games without taking part in the action. This enhances the user experience by making it a communal activity and more exciting simultaneously. This has huge potential for games or applications that let you interact and compete against your friends in real life.
Image result for arkit 2 gaming

Object Detection and Tracking

After the original release, there was an update that added support for 2D image detection on ARKit. This opened the door for an AR experience to read 2D images like posters, artwork, or signs. ARKit 2 extends this support to offer full 2D image tracking, so you can incorporate movable objects like product boxes or magazines into your AR experiences.
These additions can stay permanently so other users can view and interact with them. AR may quickly become an entirely virtual world that is being built by the ground up through customization and games.
ARKit 2 also adds the ability to detect known 3D objects like sculptures, toys, or furniture. Its upgrades allow for nontraditional shapes and sizes to be read accurately by the software. The new version contains a feature that measures any object that fits the screen. It can sense and take accurate measurements of items like photos or a television with a simple swipe of the finger.

USDZ

Working alongside Pixar, Apple co-developed anew file format called Universal Scene Description (USDZ). The two companies insist that the file is optimized for sharing content. With optimizations for storage and sharing, the new file format displays and extends 3D content natively in iOS. On iOS 12, built-in apps such as Safari, Messages, Mail, News, and Notes can natively Quick Look USDZ files.
Users see incredibly detailed renderings, including reflections of real-world surroundings in shiny virtual objects and all of these, can be embedded within the pre-installed applications on iOS.

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