VR/AR

How Much Does AR or MR Training Simulator Development Cost (4)

How Much Does AR or MR Training Simulator Development Cost?

Since we started designing extended reality solutions, “How much does it cost to build an XR solution?” has been the most common question we’ve received from prospective customers. Thus, we thought it’d be a good idea to create a blog series concerning this inquiry as well as talk about it in depth revealing how VR, AR and MR training equipment differ in prices.

The answer to this million dollar question may eventually befuddle the questioner, just because it depends on features, complexity, platform and who builds it.

Read on and if you think we’ve missed some info, drop us a comment below and help us to enlarge this series.

What is AR/MR training simulator?

AR/MR training simulator is very similar to VR training simulator. The main difference is in a use case. AR/MR means interaction with a real world and overlaying it with a 3D content.

AR/MR hardware

Most people have been introduced to AR technology via casual games on their smartphones. Consequently, iOS, and Android are the AR devices everyone has.

Reliable, accurate AR/MR for enterprise uses requires more powerful hardware, like Microsoft HoloLens and Magic Leap One. Microsoft’s Hololens allows users to see digital holograms integrated with the world around them in augmented and mixed reality. The Magic Leap works almost the same way —  headset blends the digital and physical. This headset features a robust sensor suite and room mapping technology.

Benefits of AR/MR training simulator for organizations in different domains

Benefits are mostly the same as of VR training simulator:

  • Costs reduction. In most cases, AR/MR training simulators help organizations save time and money by routine operations automation, elimination or reduction. They also boost the ramp-up period for newcomers.
  • Risks mitigation. AR/MR training simulators allow training people in a “safe” environment. For medical/healthcare industry training simulators help to train doctors, nurses, students without risking lives.
  • Efficiency. Comparing to traditional classes, trainees are able to dive into hazardous scenarios or some critical situations, that otherwise are hard, expensive and risky to replicate in a real life. This means that trainees will be ready to go through the whole set of situations and get much more experience. This kind of scenarios are a part of airline pilot training, that’s why air travel is safe nowadays.

Industry Use Cases

Education

AR interactive lesson for students and kids definitely improves education quality and engagement. Here are several examples:

Healthcare/Phobia treatment

AVRspot inc. has developed a tool that allows the phobic people to put themselves in the presence of their fear. You can download the case study and watch the video here.

Sport/Fitness

AVRspot inc. has created AR Trainer Assistant – a solution that enables users to train together with AR coach to discover the perfect gym equipment and suitable exercises for a precise fitness plan, so that they could lose weight and/or strengthen body lines. You can download the case study and see the video here.

Automotive

Hyundai has developed AR manuals for its 2017 G80 and G90 models in addition to traditional printed guides.

Energy

AVRspot inc. has created MR (Microsoft Hololens) training simulator for a nuclear power plant. The main idea is to train personnel on how to respond to critical incidents in a safe environment.

Repair and maintenance

Masters no longer need to carry all necessary documentation with AR/MR assistants.

Swift adaptation

ARguide.app creates a tool for fast and easy newcomers adaptation. Video tutorials, how-to-use instructions, corporate videos, names on top of tables.
The most exciting part is that you can create a similar tutorial in 10 minutes. See how it works:

VR training simulator creation process

AR/MR training simulator creation process usually includes next steps:

  • Domain research and training scripts adaptation;
  • Training object(s) design and implementation. For example, human skeleton we created for medical training simulator: https://skfb.ly/6AnyQ;
  • Interaction points with a real-world creation;
  • Taps, gestures and interactions implementation;
  • Decision tree and different scenarios creation.

AR / MR training simulator often also includes:

  • Voice narration and command interface;
  • Quizzes;
  • Analytics, reporting;
  • User management;
  • Score system;
  • Integration with an organization’s existed software infrastructure;
  • Multiple participants at one space.

How much does it cost to create AR/MR training simulator?

Despite AR/MR training simulators are quite unique and include a different set of features, based on our experience we can provide some figures:

Manufacturing — hyper-realistic 3D models, and different scenarios creation usually required – starting at $7000*

Energy — 3D laser scan/photogrammetry reconstruction for the precise environment and objects creation usually required – starting at $11000*

Healthcare — human body/body parts hyper-realistic modeling and quiz/decisions tree scenarios development usually required — starting at $9000*

Sports — animated human body and different scenarios/voice narration usually required — starting at $8000*

Repair and Maintenance — different objects overlaying and scenarios implementation  usually required – starting at $6000*

Education — augmented reality lesson(s), including interactions, VFX effects, quiz creation usually required – starting at $7000*

It is often a tough decision for an organization to invest in AR/MR training simulator creation. AVRspot inc. provides a unique possibility to create a proof of concept or even MVP (minimal viable product) without any risks**.

The proof of concept or MVP includes a scene (environment) and programmed model with several scenarios. The cost starts at $3900, price depends on the level of complexity.

If you have a training simulator idea in mind for your company, we can provide an end-to-end service to make it happen — just drop us a line!

Book a call with our team to see more of our work and discuss your project.

* final price depends on many factors such as project complexity, modules such as analytics, reporting, back-end system, integration, multiplayer, etc.

** Please contact us to learn more about our “No Risks Program”

Related: How much does VR training simulator development cost?

Related: How much does augmented reality application development cost in 2018?

Related: How much does VR application development cost in 2018?

virtual-reality-surgery-training-1024x476 (5)

How Much Does VR Training Simulator Development Cost?

The growth of virtual reality (VR) training simulators in recent years can be attributed to solutions that allow businesses to imitate a real-life process and let employees realize what it might feel like to work with the equipment or service before actually doing it in a real environment. As the popularity of VR training makes more and more organizations stand out, companies need to be innovative to stay relevant. Virtual reality creates exciting opportunities for businesses to do so.

This article is for those who want to know what VR training simulators are, what their benefits are, see real industries and use cases, delve deeper into VR training simulator creation process, and find out how much it costs to create VR training simulator.

What is VR training simulator?

When someone talks about VR training simulator, they are referring to technology that is a virtual medium through which various types of skills can be acquired. Training simulations can be used in a variety of genres; however, they are most commonly used in corporate situations to improve business awareness and management skills.

VR Training Simulators Benefits

From retail to healthcare, any sphere will benefit from VR simulation:

The main advantages of VR training simulators are:

  • Costs reduction. In most cases, VR training simulators help organizations save time and money by routine operations automation, elimination or reduction. They also boost the ramp-up period for newcomers.
  • Risks mitigation. VR training simulators allow training people in a “safe” environment. For medical/healthcare industry training simulators help to train doctors, nurses, students without risking lives.
  • Efficiency. Comparing to traditional classes, trainees are able to dive into hazardous scenarios or some critical situations, that otherwise are hard, expensive and risky to replicate in a real life. This means that trainees will be ready to go through the whole set of situations and get much more experience. This kind of scenarios are a part of airline pilot training, that’s why air travel is safe nowadays.

Industry Use Cases

Today’s Manufacturing, Nuclear, Construction, Retail, Aviation, Healthcare, and other industries have changed significantly due to virtual reality technology. More and more businesses are developing immersive simulators technology matching real-life scenarios to substitute dangerous training.

Here are several examples:

  • Retail — Walmart started to use VR training simulator to train over a million associates across the US.
  • Nuclear station VR training simulator — AVRspot inc. has created VR training simulator for a nuclear power plant. The main idea is to train personnel on how to respond to critical incidents in a safe environment.
  • Manufacturing — Ford was one of the first car manufacturers to utilize virtual reality in its processes. At the advanced facility, different employees can wear a virtual reality headset, and walk around looking at a car, while colleagues watch what they experience on a large screen.
  • Healthcare —  Cedars-Sinai, a leader in providing high-quality healthcare encompassing primary care, offers VR experiences to admitted patients like visiting different places, to reduce stress and relieve any associated pain.

VR Training Simulator Creation Process

VR training simulator creation process usually includes next steps:

  1. Domain research and training scripts adaptation;
  2. 3D environment and/or video content creation;
  3. Training object(s) design and creation. For example, human skeleton we created for medical training simulator: https://skfb.ly/6AnyQ;
  4. Decision tree and different scenarios creation.

VR training simulator often also includes:

  1. Voice narration and command interface;
  2. Quizzes;
  3. Analytics, reporting;
  4. User management;
  5. Hardware integration, as we made for Baseball Training Simulator (baseball bat): https://youtu.be/zeuuHQ6sAt4 and real bike integration for VR bike simulator;
  6. Score system.
  7. Integration with an organization’s existed software infrastructure;
  8. Multiple participants at one space.

How much does it cost to create VR training simulator?

Despite VR training simulators are quite unique and include a different set of features, based on our experience we can provide some figures:

Manufacturing — hyper-realistic 3D models, environment and different scenarios creation usually required – starting at $11000*

Energy — 3D laser scan/photogrammetry reconstruction for the precise environment and objects creation usually required – starting at $24000*

Healthcare — human body/body parts hyper-realistic modeling and quiz/decisions tree scenarios development usually required — starting at $12000*

Retail — retail floor realistic 3D modeling and different scenarios programming usually required — starting at $9000*

Aviation — the cockpit model creation and different interactions creation usually required – starting at $18000*

Education — classroom environment and virtual lesson(s), including interactions, VFX effects, quiz creation usually required – starting at $8000*

It is often a tough decision for an organization to invest in VR training simulator creation. AVRspot inc. provides a unique possibility to create a proof of concept or even MVP (minimal viable product) without any risks**.

The proof of concept or MVP includes a scene (environment) and programmed model with several scenarios. The cost starts at $4900, price depends on the level of complexity.

If you have a training simulator idea in mind for your company, we can provide an end-to-end service to make it happen — just drop us a line!

Book a call with our team to see more of our work and discuss your project.

* final price depends on many factors such as project complexity, modules such as analytics, reporting, back-end system, integration, hardware setup, multiplayer, etc.

** Please contact us to learn more about our “No Risks Program”

Related: How much does augmented reality application development cost in 2018?

Related: How much does VR application development cost in 2018?

AR_WatchBox_mobile_app (5)

How to Develop a Hand Tracking App for a Jewelry Store

Augmented reality has a huge impact on how customers buy products online. Technology that was previously used for entertainment now helps solve dilemmas with product visualization. And how do you create the best hand tracking app for your needs? In this blog, we’re going to tell you a few success stories of using AR for a virtual try on, and share how we developed a hand tracking app for a jewelry store.

Augmented Reality Online Shopping Apps Success Stories

WatchBox

With an understanding that customers must trust their online purchases, WatchBox, the global e-commerce platform for the selling luxury watches has developed an Augmented Reality feature within the company’s free app, WatchBox.

Augmented reality system allows customers to virtually try on famous brands watches. All watches show up on wrists in their approximate size and shape, allowing shoppers to see how their new watch will look in real life. The system involves printing out and wearing a bracelet, available through the WatchBox website, that works as a marker for the AR app.

Dangle AR

FaceCake, the Augmented Reality shopping platform innovator, developed Dangle AR, an iOS mobile app for earrings.

Dangle allows shoppers to find the ideal pair of earrings and then virtually wear it thanks to AR technology. It works in real-time, allowing the customer to feel as though they are just looking into a mirror, exploring the numerous option available to them.

How AR Shopping Apps Influence Buyer Decisions:

  • It allows shoppers to make sure the jewelry looks great.
  • It helps people to make a decision to buy an expensive item online.
  • Users can get assured how will goods look on them and whether they worth buying.
  • Return rates are reduced in shopping apps that offer virtual try on.
  • Augmented reality provides the personalization customers are looking for.

How We Developed AR Hand Tracking App

Now, the most exciting part. We’ll tell you to step by step what we did to implement an app that detects user’s hand and allows trying on various rings that later customers will be able to buy.

For an AR hand tracking development we opted for OpenCV and color blob algorithm. In computer vision, blob detection methods are aimed at detecting regions in a digital image that differ in properties, such as brightness or color, compared to surrounding regions. In our situation, we’ve applied this method to detect colors of the hand and calculate the median. After the color was defined by an app, it ultimately would cut other colors out.

We took the contour that matches a hand with fingers spread, for the app to detect each finger and place rings. The app only recognizes a hand with fingers spread slightly apart.

The app we implemented works in a similar way to Watch Box and Dangle AR. Except there’s no need for the marker as it is required for Watch Box users.

The user lays his hand on a table, sets his phone over the hand, projects the phone camera on the hand and pickups the ring to try. By detecting each finger potential buyers can easily try on jewelry and choose the best item.

If you have any questions about AR tracking development, contact us — AVRspot experts know how to strengthen your business, implementing efficient and customized augmented reality solutions.

augmented-reality-being-used-in-gatwicks-north-terminal

How Apps Like AR Wayfinding Gatwick Airport Can Help Promote Your Brand

Nowadays, brands are becoming more tech-savvy, that implies that even more of them will go mobile. Whatever business you are running, an app is not optional for a brand promotion. Let’s see how Gratwick managed to meet customer service goals, be innovative and discover new kinds of interactions with clients and employees using augmented reality application.

How does Gatwick Airport app works?

In 2017, Gatwick Airport Official was launched and since that time the app was installed more than 50,000 times on Google Play. That’s impressive.

At first sight, the solution works like many other virtual guides. It provides users with live updates about gate number and flight status, allows travelers planning their time by check-in queue times, booking the closest parking, and pre-ordering a takeaway meal.

But, there is something that makes Gatwick Airport app stand out. It’s ‘find your way’ option. Powered by augmented reality, the app shows a way to a needed gate, baggage carousels, check-in desks, specific food or shopping outlets. Basically, the technology provides an augmented reality indoor navigation system (much like Google Maps, but indoor) to help passengers find directions to wherever they need. Passengers can find a way just by capturing an area they are in. Then, they’ll see navigation signs popping up on the screen. As they walk around in the real world, AR integrates digital information with the user’s environment in real time and the arrows move along the map.

How Has Gatwick Reached Their Audience And What Does It Teach Us?

Let’s analyze what Gatwick’s passengers get when they use the app and how similar techniques can help you boost your business, enhance its value and grow your audience.

There are 3 key points that can help with brand promotion:

  • Customer satisfaction;
  • Emotional connection;
  • Helping not selling.

Customer Satisfaction

So, customer satisfaction. We live in the era where technology occupies every corner of our life, and people love having everything on their phones. If you give them an app that simplifies their routine they will be yours forever. And Gatwick did so.

By integrating AR wayfinding into the mobile application, international airport has facilitated passenger experience and obtained more consumer satisfaction. You can do the same. Design a solution for your brand that will make the whole navigation experience easier for your customers. If you own a rental business, you may opt for an AR app that acts as an information hub and makes it easy to find household appliances and add interactive, visual instructions where needed.

Customer satisfaction, in particular, is linked to experience. So, create it. The more enjoyable it will be the more people like your brand. Augmented reality surely surpasses other technology innovations in maintaining excellent navigation user experiences. Think about integrating it into your business.

Emotional Connection

What about the emotional connection? Gatwick used AR to connect with their customers on a deeper level, enhance engagement and develop more sustainable relationships for the long term. How? Augmented reality took away all insecurities of being late, missing the plane or getting confused with the door by providing digital data to the camera feed of user’s smartphone and visualizing needed ways and options. Indeed, even B2B brands get more sales when they use emotional messages. Think about the ways you can use augmented reality to strengthen emotional connection with your audience.

Helping Not Selling

And the best thing is that Gatwick AR app is practical. By implementing wayfinding technology into the app, Gatwick prevented chaos and confusion at the airport. Moreover, it reduced stress and anxiety, taking away the need to constantly check for information on the internet or ask the staff. Prioritizing quality service through helpful apps you build a memory which further strengthens the brand image.

What Brands May Need Wayfinding

AR and wayfinding have a wide range of applications. Retail, travel, real estate, marketing — this list can be endless.

If you own a boutique or a shopping mall, offer AR navigation and your customers will not wander somewhere searching for a specific item, but go directly to the place where they can buy it. Customers choose brands that save their time and provide impeccable service.

Here at AVRspot, we developed an AR wayfinding app, called ARguide, that allows hosts to provide their guests with necessary information about home appliance location within the apartment, how-to-use instructions, or any other hidden items guests might need to know when staying in a house. If you want to know how AR wayfinding works we encourage you to join our team of beta testers and be one of the first to try the app for free.

See also: ARGuide: Augmented Reality Assistant for Real Estate

What Should You Do Next

First, analyze how can you show your customers that you care and let your app be valuable.  Find out, how you can build an emotional connection and make the most of it. It will bring loyalty and trust, that later will be associated with your name.

Despite its steep surge, AR is still so new that there is a great chance to engage people with unique experiences in the augmented world. Being a significant part of the customer’s daily life is one of the most effective, but least utilized marketing strategies. If you are considering or planning an AR experience for the brand promotion, please contact us and we’ll tell you more about the possibilities wayfinding offers and help you improve your current user journeys.

VR Bike Experience (1)

How We Used Bezier Curve to Create VR Bike Experience

Today, businesses need to be able to create a memorable embodied experience, so that users were impressed by what they see and wanted to invest money. This is exactly where virtual reality comes into play, enabling landowners to offer lifelike presentations conveying the sense of belonging to the places potential home buyers could live in. One of our customers, an enterprise from the US, needed to create a VR experience for the new suburb community. They required a guided bike tour to enable future community members to virtually ride through the large greenway park and experience of what it will be like when finished. So, we came up with an idea of using a Bezier Curve capable of handling the challenge. In this article, we will cover the bike route implementation process as well as the pitfalls we had to overcome along the way.

What is the Bezier Curve?

A Bezier curve is a mathematically defined curve applied in two-dimensional graphics applications. The curve is defined by four points: the initial position and the terminating position and two separate middle points.

Why Using Bezier Curve Is An Answer

It is clear that setting points manually cannot work in this situation. The task was to create the VR bike ride simulation experience that would last 3.5-5 minutes total. To model a specific route for the cyclist in VR, we generated a curve that would simulate that path. As combinations of linked Bézier curves can be used to generate “paths” we decided to apply this method. This is how we did it.

An important first step in route implementation was a creation of an editor extension in Unity, where we would generate a curve. At first sight, it seemed that the task was done. But computer graphics recognizes only data points, so we converted that curve into the set of points. We used the curve we had created before and defined its points.

Due to particular time frames bike should move with the same speed, thus data points must be equidistant. So we applied one more method – the Linear interpolation.

To place points evenly, we converted curve length into the appropriate amount of points. The more points you use the more accurate the line will match Bezier curve (we used around 100 points). If the two known points are given by the coordinates, the linear interpolant is the straight line between these points. By having a set of data points we defined linear interpolants between each pair of data points. By knowing the curve length we found out where to put each next point.

After setting points on the same distance, we obtained the route for VR bike ride.

What’s next?

Well, the results are encouraging. And there is a long way we can go further to implement the whole community in VR. As for now, we are working on 3D models of roads, vegetation, and home types, so stay tuned! Some new challenges are coming!

See also: Augmented Reality Fitness Apps and How We Develop Them

Related: How Much Does VR Training Simulator Development Cost?

Augmented Reality Fitness Apps (4)

Augmented Reality Fitness Apps and How We Develop Them

Will fitness AR ever rule the world? That may sound like an unfounded statement, yet it turns out, that an augmented reality is spreading everywhere. Once limited to gamers, modern AR technologies combine value with entertainment. If you ever wanted to learn more about augmented reality fitness apps, we’re here to help.

What is a fitness AR app?

Before diving deeper into fitness AR, we have to talk about how these apps actually work. Basically, there are a few types of augmented reality fitness apps, and they work slightly differently, but with the same principle — each app integrates digital visual content into the user’s real-world environment.

Holographic trainers, personalized workouts, workout gamification, nutrition and diet apps — this intriguing list of fitness AR use cases should get you reeling with the possibilities.

Holographic trainers

The holographic trainer is probably one of the most attractive fitness AR apps. Instead of looking for workout videos or reading boring instructions on an app, users can project a virtual personal trainer in the gym or any other workout space. Picture this: you can walk around your coach to see the way muscles work and workout alongside him or her.

How we designed Augmented Reality Trainer Assistant

For the fitness lovers to use the app in any gym they choose, the app should have recognized various types of gym training equipment. To overcome this challenge we included advanced computer vision algorithms so that the virtual trainer could show the user an appropriate workout.

You can also check out the case study of our AR Trainer app.

Such an app is an awesome business idea. Everyone seems to like working out with their iPhones that is like having a personal trainer who’ll show you how to lose weight or strengthen body lines.

See also: How much does augmented reality application development cost in 2018?

Workout gamification

This may sound weird, but games like notorious Pokemon Go or Zombies, Run! can make even a sluggard go out and about. Besides being a powerful trigger for AR, Pokemon Go is a great alternative to the gym. It’s an easy way to cover several miles a day by collecting monsters without feeling like you’re working out. Another app, called Zombies, Run! functions in a similar way. Creepy zombies are chasing gamers and don’t want them live to see the next day – better than a race track, isn’t it?

Nutrition and diet apps

There are a bunch of apps that track nutrition habits, count calories, and even create a specific diet for allergic people. People love them, but what would be if we add AR functionality to such an app?

Suggestic, the US startup, created an app allowing users to show their preferences, select a diet or nutrition plan, optimize it to user’s unique biology. While all these features are awesome but not revolutionary for nutrition apps, augmented reality has become a game-changing innovation.

The Suggestic app offers users something other nutrition apps failed to do. Customers can simply point their phones at any restaurant menu and instantly see what’s good for them, according to their diet, biology, preferences, and goals.

Hiking Apps

Hiking app is an app that allows users to show off their run, hike or cycling session after they’ve finished. Strava is a great example of such an app. Using the app users can “pin” a topographical map of your route to any flat surface and examine a three dimensional model of the terrain you just hiked.

How do fitness AR apps make money?

Some apps offer a premium subscription or encourage you to buy a membership that would unlock access to unlimited features. Suggestic provides their users with free 7-day trial and paid a yearly subscription, including basic and premium eating plans. Other apps include in-app purchases or in-app ads, allowing their owners to generate revenue. AR Trainer we developed has in-app purchases integration allowing shoppers to buy premium account and enjoy a wider range of training equipment and exercises.

See also: How to Use Augmented Reality Apps for Furniture Business

What are your next steps?

If you want to make money from having an app on Google Play or App Store, augmented reality fitness app is a perfect choice. If you are interested in developing your own solution or just have questions, contact our experts — we are glad to help you.

thought-catalog-731868-unsplash

How Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram are using Augmented Reality for their Business

It’s not a secret anymore that each social network makes money through advertising. By being the core of digital marketing strategies, social channels are figuring out the best tactics to promote products and services and implement new ways of delivering interactive experiences. To attract new as well as potential customers ads should grab their attention and make an offer buyer can’t refuse, just like furniture businesses do. One such possibility for ads come in the form of augmented reality.

So, how the most popular social networks use AR?

Snapchat

Snapchat is definitely breaking new ground with AR features allowing users to project various elements into the real world via smartphone cameras. According to Statistics Portal, 190 million people are using Snapchat and on average are spending between 25 to 30 minutes in the app every day.

Why is it so? Funny and sweet filters make plain pictures adorable. Selfie lovers had enough of usual games they want to keep experimenting with their faces. They are in awe of amusing dogs, cute kittens, pretty wreaths and other charming filters allowing looking gorgeous after hard working day. No need to say that one of the ingredients of the spectacular user growth on Snap is their popular filters.

Snapchat lenses

After creating a genuinely new way of communicating, picture-messaging app decided to go even further. Its newest addition, called  Snappables — AR games that use your touch, motion, and facial expressions to compete for high scores — already has a huge number of fans.   Users can challenge their friends and play “Would you rather…”, “That’s what I like!”, or “My face when…” and send those pics to engage with others. From the start, games ranged from fighting aliens to truth or dare, but Snap promised to release new Snappables every week. For now, to generate a couple of new games the app allows users to unleash creativity and create their own magical AR experiences, and share them on the most used augmented reality platform in the world. Nobody did that before using that technology!

Snappable

How does AR help Snapchat make money? First and foremost, AR is appealing to users. The more users they have the more people will see Snap Ads (10-second videos). Another way SnapChat makes money is Geofilters — AR filters showing your location.

snapchat geofilters

Users are charged for the size of the area and the amount of time where Geofilter is available. Understanding the power lens filters have on Snapchat users, big companies went ahead and launched their sponsored lens filters. Respectively, brands who advertise on Snapchat gain significant exposure and social media reach to their potential customers. Just imagine, famous taco head SnapChat filter was used by 224 million people!

Taco filter snapchat

Facebook & Instagram

Facebook seems like grabbing all the best of other social networks. Not long ago, Zuckerberg owned Instagram and grew at a good clip. Similar to Snapchat, Facebook has understood the potential of augmented reality and is promptly integrating this technology into their business and marketing strategies on both channels.

Instagram recently hit 1 billion monthly users and continues to change the way people share and consume things online. We all know how addictive people are to this photo-sharing app and its augmented reality features. While being new to the face filter game Instagram is original in most of its designs and creates lifelike AR experiences.

Instagram filters

Facebook generates over half a billion in revenue each year, the vast majority of which comes from advertising. Currently, a social network is working with companies to produce a wide variety of augmented reality ads including fashion accessories, cosmetics, furniture, gaming, and entertainment. Michael Kors will be the first brand to use AR ads. People browsing through the News Feed will see ads for sunglasses and will be able to wear it through their front cameras thanks to augmented reality. Other brands who are said to be using AR advertisements soon, include Sephora, Wayfair, Bobbi Brown, and Pottery Barn.

Facebook AR ads

It’s common knowledge that AR has turned the traditional buying path in which customers move from discovery to purchase. To satisfy the demands of today’s “nonstop” customers, who use digital technologies to continuously evaluate products, services, and brand promises, the most popular social networks are using augmented reality.

Eventually, we see AR giving birth to a completely new target market. If you are inspired to run your own augmented reality campaign or just want to know more about opportunities augmented reality offers, don’t hesitate to contact our team. We’d be more than happy to help you!

How to succeed in Construction Business with Augmented Reality

How to succeed in Construction Business with Augmented Reality

If you run a construction business for some period of time, you probably know how challenging is that to show to your customers how the building will look like when completed. You do your best to convey the actual size or view of the cottage because you understand, if you fail to explain how the final outcome will look like, chances are you lose your client.

That’s changing for the better, thanks to augmented reality guides — 3D architectural tours that are used to help the customer envision what a finished structure might look like, they can also become an essential part of the marketing process for both developers and architects alike. Augmented reality aims are quite simple and straightforward: give your audience the chance to explore the entire project without it being actually constructed.

Luckily, you don’t have to build a house and knock it down, in case the customer wanted his apartment to be different. You need a smart solution that would allow you and your client to see the structure in the real place where it is supposed to be built and to walk through it in real time.

Our AR team at AVRspot has been working on such a solution, called AR House.

About AR House

AR House is a combination of architectural visualization and augmented reality. The app allows architects and designers to evaluate proportions using interactive 3D modeling and simulate the natural effects of lighting in internal environments. Architectural visualizations can represent anything the client desires from the textures to complete interior furnishings.

Via augmented reality house your clients will be able to immerse themselves in their potential apartment, as well as gain a much clearer view of both the space and design.

Architecture and the design of the property involve engineers, architects, designers, and clients who see the process differently. The AR House app helps architects and designers work collaboratively, communicate ideas more efficiently, share their understanding and reach consensus.

It can be also used as a marketing tool. Today clients are becoming more and more interested in augmented reality walkthroughs, allowing them to watch a realistic spherical panorama of rooms, come closer to the objects and get a better understanding of the final outcome.

Benefits of AR House App:

  • possibility to show construction whenever your client wants;
  • opportunity for easy elaboration and modifications;
  • possibility to change interior until it looks the way your customer wants without extra time and cost;
  • it is open for development and experiments.

 

Is Augmented Reality Good for Your Construction Business?

Many people believe that the rapid advancements in computer technology over the last 30 years has changed a lot of businesses. What is for certain, is that the digital age is here and it is being used by the Real Estate industry to serve clients as well as build better, more efficient, more visually stunning buildings.

If you are looking for an awesome visualization tool for a construction, AR app is a great option. Via augmented reality tour you can show your client any type of building at any stage of construction. A combination of augmented reality and architectural visualization is a huge leap for businesses and has already been successfully tried out.

If you are interested in this or a similar solution, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we will answer all your questions.

lenovo-explorer-7 (2)

VR hardware: Lenovo Explorer Windows Mixed Reality Headset Review

With the advent of augmented and virtual reality software development, the VR hardware is already widely available from companies such as Google, Samsung, HTC, and Oculus VR — meaning deeply engaging, innovative technology that immerses you into an extremely realistic, three-dimensional world. Yet, hardware’s price, screen resolution, cables, and weight were always a pain. Where can you find an affordable headset that won’t be bulky and allow you to spot the smallest details in the scene? Slowly but surely we are heading towards that goal, as we can see a lot of new, low-cost headsets on the market and all you have to do is pick the one that matches your requirements. In this blog, we made a Lenovo Explorer Windows Mixed Reality Headset review to help you see if this is hardware you may opt for.

Imagine you’re getting through the coastal jungles or walking along Britain’s medieval streets while standing in the middle of your living room. And it feels as good as the real thing. Sounds like an ultimate VR goal, doesn’t it?

With Windows Mixed Reality you can easily create a virtual environment in a few minutes. Headset and controllers are all you need to enjoy the best of VR trend, and explore your dream destinations or go on an exciting adventure.

Let’s start with device specifications.

Device Specifications

  • Two high-resolution liquid crystal displays at 1440 x 1440;
  • 2.89” diagonal display size (x2);
  • Front hinged display, so you can flip the headset up while working;
  • Up to 105 degrees horizontal field of view;
  • Display refresh rate up to 90 Hz (native);
  • Built-in audio out and microphone support through the 3.5mm jack;
  • Single cable with HDMI 2.0 (display) and USB 3.0 (data) for connectivity;
  • Inside-out tracking;
  • 4.00m cable.

Price

Priced at $399, the Lenovo Explorer is more affordable than notorious HTC Vive. If you are looking for an affordable high-quality headset — Lenovo Explorer is definitely an option to think about.

A headset is compatible with Windows PC.

Camera Positional Tracking

The headset doesn’t require any hardware on your walls. It is tracked in space from the inside out by two onboard cameras providing precise movement fidelity, and not limiting users to one specific space.

Design

Lenovo Mixed Reality Headset Design

Sleek design and a head strap that carries the weight of the headset make this device pretty comfortable. By tightening the strap around your head with the help of a circle button on the back it is possible to prevent light leakage so that the user could get completely lost within VR.

Resolution

The virtual world in Lenovo headset looks crisp due to LCD panels that provide high resolution and offer vibrant picture clarity. Thanks to the high resolution it’s now easier to read a text in VR, so it is a great fit for VR productivity apps. The Fresnel lenses offer the same quality as Oculus Rift and HTC Vive do.

Motion Controllers

Lenovo Windows Motion Controllers

 

Along with a headset, you’ll get two motion controllers bundled, and they’re identical regardless of which MR headset you get. Lenovo’s advanced motion controller contains a trigger button, a clickable touchpad, a thumbstick, grab and menu buttons.

Drawbacks and Limitations:

  • the headset does not have physical IPD adjustment and software IPD only supports up to 67mm, so if you have larger IPD it might be an issue;
  • sometimes it loses track of the motion controllers;
  • it has smaller lenses, thus this headset isn’t as immersive as it could be.

Upshot

All in all, if you are looking for a headset for gaming or just interested in trying VR, Lenovo Explorer Windows Mixed Reality headset is a nice alternative to high-priced hardware.   Technology that understands your movement in space, has vivid graphics and is comfortable certainly stands out in the market.

If you want to know more about Lenovo Explorer you can visit the Microsoft website where you’ll find more information about headset characteristics as well as customer reviews.

maxresdefault (1) (5)

Why Do You Need AR Manual For Your Business

You definitely heard about AR manuals, at least once. But as soon as you get that blender you’ve been keeping an eye for months, you’ll find nothing but an old paper user manual that you don’t want to read. One day you may run into problems with the appliance and start skimming that instruction again. Eventually, you give up searching for appropriate information among warranties written in 8 different languages and leave it as it is.

Text user manuals lack visuals, are too complex, and it would be just awesome to find a more user-friendly alternative, wouldn’t it?

You are lucky enough, as there’s an alternative to that old-fashioned method. It is the augmented reality user manual.

What Is Augmented Reality User Manual?

Before we dive right into what kind of businesses use AR, you should get some context into what augmented reality user manual is.

How do augmented reality instructions stack up against traditional user manuals? Augmented reality manuals, otherwise known as interactive how-to guides, provide detailed information about operation and maintenance of a product. Generally, buyers don’t like reading dense, boring text, so augmented reality guide is a great addition that will make the whole user experience more enjoyable.

By pointing your tablet at different parts of the device, 2D and 3D overlays on the display will identify what goes where. With AR manuals you have required information within your fingertips in just a few minutes and solve any complex problem quickly without external assistance.

Augmented Reality vs Paper Manuals

Augmented reality allows you to replace printed manuals by just using your iOS or Android device and work with an object even if you see it for the first time. AR interactive instructions are available at any time, so you don’t have to pack your bag with thousands of pages, in case you forgot how to deal with alternator faults in your car.

Most products have strong visual interfaces for operation and the problem, though, is that most companies use text to describe how to use a certain product. This is where AR really come in handy. Interactive instructions developed by means of AR are completely visual, as they add some bits and bobs over the real world. More safe and less time-consuming, AR manuals are a perfect option for those who constantly operate new pieces of equipment.

As if that wasn’t enough, as printed instruction manuals become outdated quickly and the traditional process of creating new instruction manuals is complex, more and more companies opt for AR. When using AR apps, interactive user manual can be easily edited and published online within seconds making the whole process a lot less of a burden.

Where are Interactive How-To Guides Used?

If you’ve read how virtual technology is being used in the automotive market, it would be easy for you to see that sky’s the limit. Check out these AR business ideas to help you take advantage of this emerging trend:

Hyundai

Hyundai — South Korean multinational car company — was one of the early AR adopters among automotive sector. The AR manual displays information about 45 different features of a car. Just point your phone camera and you’ll see an overlay showing all of the components.

If you want to replace an air filter, just tap on it and the app will walk you through the process. You can even put it down and it will still show you the steps you have to take. When you are inside, pan around again and you’ll see what different switches do. You can look at the indicator screen and it’ll give you a map of all lights and tell you what they do. By using a pictorial index you can get even more information as an overlay or video.

Hyundai has also developed AR manuals for its 2017 G80 and G90 models in addition to traditional printed guides. By pointing the device camera at the engine bay of your car, you’ll see the detected and labeled components of your car engine in real time. Tapping an icon gives you augmented reality maintenance instructions for any selected part. There’s also a scanner and a bunch of instructional video on how to use each button inside a car. On top of that, they provide customers with 360 virtual reality experience of the interior.

IKEA Furniture Instruction Manual

You probably know that IKEA already uses AR to show potential customers how pieces of furniture might look in their home or just anywhere. It shouldn’t surprise you, then that another IKEA app can show you how to assemble the furniture you just have bought. Hold up your phone and the virtual guide will tell you where to put what.

Is AR Manual Right Choice for Your Business?

Sooner rather than later, the AR will bring us into a global network of intuitive devices, designed especially for our convenience. AR technology is reshaping the way we live and work with appliances, therefore it’s mandatory to incorporate technology into your business.

If you find it hard to offer beautiful and easy to use a manual for your customers, then it’s time for you to think about an efficient solution. Whether you are in the automotive or manufacturing business — if your products need some kind of guidance to be used — there’s no better option than interactive user guides. If you have any questions regarding AR solutions, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’d be glad to help you.

How Far Can VRAR and Blockchain Go

How Far Can VR/AR and Blockchain Go? VR/AR and Blockchain Combined

Recently, I’ve had an interesting experience.

Last week me and my friend went for a coffee after a hard working day. These days it’s quite impossible to be blown away by something, but trust me, that was surreal! Not coffee, obviously. Before sitting in the cafeteria and enjoying tasty cupcakes, he suggested having a virtual ride. I didn’t mind that. We approached the salon with glass doors and hanging signboard saying “360VR” and after buying tickets, sat into virtual reality chairs, put gear VR on and started the ride.

Virtual reality can really turn your world upside-down. I learned that while spinning around in a giant simulator that is not for the faint-hearted.

This made me think that there are so many ideas, solutions, startups… However, once the idea is born in your mind, you see it’s already been done by someone else. So, how to stand out? It’s almost impossible to enter the market with something new and exclusive.

The answer is in this blog.

AR/VR & Blockchain

When considering emerging technologies AR, VR and blockchain are top of mind. Being predicted to be worth billions of dollars by 2024, these three have an incredible potential and as combined, can give birth to products and services not possible before.

Blockchain

Let’s have a look at the solutions embracing the best of AR, VR, and blockchain.

1. Decentraland

Blockchain-based virtual reality universe Decentraland is a well known virtual social space linked to crypto coin-based transactions. With the help of the Ethereum blockchain users can purchase land, build a house or a virtual neighborhood on it, monetize it, and make money. Users can create residences for live music performances, shopping, workshops, test-driving — whatever people can experience in virtual reality.

“The ownership of items is cryptographically established on a smart contract, which prevents anyone from stealing or altering users’ property,” Ariel Meilich, Project Lead at Decentraland, explained. “Conversely, a centralized platform can very easily print more in-game currency, revoke item ownership, or even delete users.”

Simply speaking, Decentraland uses VR and blockchain smart contracts to allow us fully participate in a virtual world by becoming landowners and monetizing various worlds, selling space to advertisers or renting it in exchange for Decentraland’s cryptocurrency token, MANA.

You have two options.

You can be the next landowner if you want. Or, you can create your own VR and blockchain system that would be the new world of the next generation.

2. CEEK

Another company, called CEEK, is also working on the intersection of VR and blockchain to deliver a solution for VR events. A platform was developed mainly for performers to extend their reach and connect with thousands of fans across the world. CEEK provides a possibility to singers to host live VR versions of their concerts, enabling fans to enjoy the experience without physically attending the event.

Instead of centralized registration and payment platform, CEEK is using smart contracts and unique crypto token system, which allows token holders to make flexible “in-world” interactions, participate in virtual celebrity concerts and other events. Blockchain transactions are safe, clear and provide an enduring record of exchanges.

Katy Perry, Tony Bennett, Fall Out Boy have chosen CEEK to give a chance to their fans to experience their live concerts.

Yet, there are more artists who would like to store VR versions of their performances. Would you like to offer them your solution?

3. Cappasity

In a nutshell, Cappasity is a decentralized, community-driven ecosystem created for renting, buying or selling AR/VR and 3D content. It uses blockchain infrastructure to keep and manage 3D digital assets copyrights. Developers and 3D content creators can easily monetize and share their works within the system as well as embed them into web stores and mobile apps. The system itself has a sandbox technology allowing buyers to test out the content by deploying it there.

The ecosystem includes a content storage, a decentralized copyrights storage, CAPP Wallet, Internal Exchange, API for the third-party developers, and free utilities.

This is an awesome system for e-commerce solutions, as it makes the whole browsing experience easier in retail. Consumers from all over the world flock to the internet to make purchases and soon there is going to be a significant demand to make online retail as realistic as possible.

If you launch such a platform like Cappasity it would allow businesses to quickly and easily create and embed 3D content into their online shops. What do you think?

Is There a Place for Another Blockchain and VR solution?

VR/AR and blockchain are two industries that probably benefit the most from each other, as well as AR and AI. If you are searching for a new solution — think about VR and Blockchain. Behind these technologies, you’ll find awesome possibilities that will help you to grow your business. If you have any questions about these technologies, contact us — we would be more than happy to clarify everything for you.

How to Use Augmented Reality Apps for Furniture Business

How to Use Augmented Reality Apps for Furniture Business

Augmented reality apps for business has been a hot topic for a while, and AR is reputed to be one of the most adopted technologies in years to come for those who are looking for new ways to advertise their products — including furniture business.

Just imagine the situation. You made market research. You hired a good accountant, decided on a business structure and defined your ideal customers. You created the right name that is catchy and says a lot about your company. You even have a sleek and user-friendly website showing you indeed did your best…

I bet, you are tired of ineffective solutions that don’t thoroughly showcase your range of product collections, or you get disappointed when your clients don’t get what they wanted, cause those pieces don’t fit perfectly into the overall composition of their house. How to offer more than your competitors? Why is it so hard to keep ahead of the competition?

Well, technology develops rapidly, so incorporating something revolutionary into your business is a must.

What you really need is something which will improve the shopper’s journey in innovative ways. That is something augmented reality can do for you.

Who Is Using Augmented Reality for Furniture Business?

AR-enabled shopping is trending and is used by the world-known corporations like IKEA and Amazon.

Let’s have a closer look.

IKEA: IKEA Place

To grow in online interest and push the brand even further, the Swedish home goods giant IKEA  has been earnestly investing in augmented and virtual reality apps. The app, called IKEA place,  helps consumers explore how furniture and other product items might look in their home without ever having to step foot in an IKEA store.

The app is sleek and easy to use. Shoppers can swipe through its most popular collections, take a picture of the place where they would like to visualize selected IKEA object, insert and move it into a place that fits best. Shopping has never been easier!

“When we first launched IKEA Place, we gave our customers the opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ for the first time since IKEA was established,” said Michael Valdsgaard, leader of digital transformation at Inter IKEA Systems. “Customers truly appreciate that and we are now helping them to create a better life at home using our AR technology.” Since launching on Apple devices last September, the app has been downloaded over 2 million times, and around 1 million people have repeatedly used it.

Thanks to augmented reality application IKEA had more than 370,000 monthly active online users worldwide in February 2018, according to mobile app data company App Annie.

Fast-growing online sales convinced IKEA to look beyond its traditional model of selling items and think about another AR solution allowing buyers to assemble goods without a paper manual.

Wayfair: View in Room 3D

Shopping online for home decor is a perfect alternative to hitting up crowded stores. However, there’s nothing worse than buying a sofa online only to find it doesn’t fit your kitchen design on arrival. By following augmented reality trends, Wayfair — an American e-commerce company that sells home goods — solved this problem. Having no physical stores where potential buyers could see the real size of an item, Wayfair opted for augmented reality application allowing people to not only purchase products but buy experiences.

“We want to create the best possible shopping experience for our customers, and with AR, we’re solving a common pain point our customers face when shopping for home furnishings — how will this item look and fit in my space?” said Mike Festa, director of Wayfair Next, in an email interview with Retail Customer Experience.

Called, “View in Room 3D,” solution provides customers with a sense of what an item will look like in the area they want to place it in. It’s pretty similar to IKEA’s app. Clients can walk around a 3D wardrobe and see it from different angles.

Augmented reality provides an alternative that can save both time and money. Choosing a new home or office equipment can be a real pain, especially when you’re living to a shop hundreds of miles away. The time and costs that come with visiting every potential venue can become enormous. With an iPhone or Android, your customers are able to put any piece of home decor right in their apartment without actually making a purchase.

By the way, analysts from Statista’s Digital Market Outlook predict that the e-commerce market for furniture and appliances will continue to grow at an average of 11.5 percent until 2021. So, there’s a reason to invest in this niche.

Amazon AR View

Like IKEA’s app, Amazon’s new AR View feature allows users to place a digital render of a product in their homes to see what it will look like before they buy it. Speaking of product range,  decorative accessories for a house is not the only thing Amazon offers. Multiple product lines like media, apparel, consumer electronics, beauty products, industrial supplies as well as kitchen items can be viewed in AR mode. By taking an advantage of Apple’s ARKit, Amazon fans use the opportunities offered to the fullest.

These are by no means the only corporations using augmented reality, and the list is growing longer, as AR is maturing and more and more companies are making their way onto the scene. Despite the fact that IKEA’s, Amazon’s and Wayfair’s apps have a lot in common, there’s a fat chance to enter the market by offering AR furniture app that stands out thanks to ARkit 2.0.

Unveiling ARkit 2.0

ARKit 2.0, Apple’s updated augmented reality development platform for iOS mobile devices, allows creating AR apps with improved face tracking, more realistic rendering, solid 3D object detection, mapping, environment texturing as well as better object detection.

Moreover, with ARkit 2.0 it is possible to create apps that not only allow putting objects horizontally but hanging them vertically like kitchen cupboards or shelves. Designers or even non-designers can easily furnish an apartment without the need to buy equipment. No more mistakes. Everything fits design perfectly.

Augmented Reality Business Furniture Ideas with ARkit 2.0

ARkit 2.0 is about to furnishing your home heck of a lot easier. Shared experiences with ARKit 2.0 make AR more engaging on iPhone and iPad, allowing multiple users to collaborate on projects.

If you are looking for a solution that would help you stand out among other furniture manufacturers, it’s high time you take the initiative and be first in the market with ARkit 2.0 household property app.

What You Are to Do Next

Augmented Reality technologies are not new to the furniture businesses. It’s difficult to find a brand that hasn’t tried AR yet because manufacturers embrace it to engage the audience and boost sales. As the technology advances, there’s a chance to enter the competition bringing a cutting-edge solution into the market and offer consumers a more effective solution.

If your goals include having enough resources to improve customers experience, concentrate on investing more in AR. In case you decide to choose this option, don’t hesitate to contact us — AVRspot’s developers have successfully completed a lot of projects and will be happy to handle yours. Just fill in a short contact form.

Load More