Google’s new video offered a mixed-reality style environment to bring digital and physical objects together.
Trixi Studios recently released a video that brought the new BB-8 Star Wars droid into a fun new augmented reality based environment in which digital objects were brought into the physical environment.
This experience was meant to provide Star Wars fans with a fun glimpse into what AR technology can do.
Despite the fact that Project Tango at Google and Hololens from Microsoft are both considered to be in the early phases of development, they are both working at full tilt to try to make the augmented reality experience more broadly available. Some of the recent releases have include the Hololens development kit from Microsoft that comes with a price tag of $3,000, while the development kit from Project Tango is a notably more affordable $512. The release of the Star Wars simulation was only one of a range of AR technology based teasers that have been released over YouTube in recent weeks.
There have also been several other players that have been strutting their augmented reality stuff.
Among them was the rather mysterious Magic Leap, which has been quite secretive about what it’s been up to. That said, it didn’t hold off releasing its own AR technology based video recently. With each new release, it becomes more clear that the tech has quite a bit to offer in terms of a unique and fascinating experience for users.
When it comes to the more recent Star Wars video, while the BB-8 droid was featured, it wasn’t the only character that made its way into the spotlight. In fact, there were several character interactions available as the creator of the video made it possible to provide digital representations of Boba Fett and Stormtroopers to be fought off.
While it is clear in the videos that the animations remain in earlier forms, the point wasn’t to show how accurate and detailed the animations could be. Instead, it was a fascinating demonstration of the type of features augmented reality could have to offer. The fact that top Star Wars characters were brought into the mix showed that there is some meaningful potential on the fun side of the spectrum.
The US pharmacy chain is piloting a marketing platform that gives shoppers the chance to earn rewards.
Walgreens is testing a marketing platform in its stores that uses technology developed by Aisle411, the in-store mapping and reward provider, and Google’s Project Tango 3D augmented reality technology, which enables shoppers to find a specific product, receive directions to the proper aisle and earn rewards as they go about their shopping.
Shoppers can enjoy a three dimensional image of their route and receive personalized coupons.
The technology that Walgreens is using from Aisle411for its pilot program gives customers the opportunity to collect loyalty rewards by simply walking down certain aisles. It also allows for personalized offers, coupons and rewards to “pop out” of the shelf while customers walk around the store. Additionally, it provides them with a 3D image of the path they are taking. The augmented reality view is provided by a Project Tango device that has been placed on a shopping cart.
Walgreens Director of Mobile Commerce Tim McCauley said, “When we saw Aisle411 were working with Google Project Tango to create immersive mobile experiences inside a store, we immediately knew this was something we had to be a part of building.” He added, “It’s going to be very exciting to see how this evolves the future of the shopping experience.”
The augmented reality shopping experience is expected to be tested by more merchants in the future.
According to Aisle411, the shopping locations that will be piloting the technology will have devices that are available in-store for shoppers to use. They will be working with Walgreens to test the devices in certain markets throughout the United States. Some of the selected locations include Chicago, New York, St. Louis and Seattle.
Furthermore, the CEO of Aisle411, Nathan Pettyjohn, stated that shoppers in today’s world are occupied by and interacting with their mobile devices while they are shopping. They are “digital savvy” and clever and because of this it is vital that retailers provide their customers with the right tools to keep their shopping experience engaging. Pettyjohn believes the new application will make shopping fun for consumers and that it is sure to engage all who use it.
Presently, over 12,500 merchants throughout the US use the augmented reality marketing platform and more retailers are anticipated to test it.
