Augmented Reality (AR) Melbourne

Augmented reality technology is set to become very big business in Melbourne over the next decade. Early adopters are using the technology to give marketing strategies a boost, improve safety and training, and increase sales. It could be a viable option for your business too.

The main advantage of augmented reality over virtual reality, and what makes it an option for more businesses, is that it can be utilised with existing technology. Often, all customers will need is a smartphone or tablet app, and they can start experiencing a new, reality augmented, world. But how does it work?

Mobile Apps

Our team can help create IOS and Android AR apps for mobile devices. Perfect if you have a vested audience and wanting an ongoing multi-use application for your customers. We’ll take care of everything from UX design, development, and content creation to App Store and Google Play submissions.

Web AR

It’s now possible to have AR experiences directly through the devices browser, no app download required. Perfect if you are looking at a single use AR experience such as a product packaging activation. All you need to do is push your customer to the URL through your POS or QR code and your products can come alive in seconds!

Social AR

Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat now have extensive AR functionality built into their cameras. The MASSIVE advantage of this is most people already have one or more of these apps installed on their devices and you tap into the native sharing functionality of these apps to spread your promotion to a much wider audience.

Headset AR

An AR headset provides the most immersive high-end AR experience possible. Using only hand gestures the user can navigate their way through your AR experience. A fantastic tool for staff training, a workforce out in the field and for trade shows, visitor experiences and demonstrations.

How can AR be used in my business?

Augmented reality works by adding digital content onto a live camera feed, making it look as if it is part of the real world. This could be anything from adding silly glasses and facial hair on a fun app for kids to overlaying digital directions for hikers on Mornington Peninsula or in the Yarra Range, to overlaying useful information in multiple languages for tourists visiting Melbourne Museum or the MCG.

 

This is achieved by using something called computer vision, which allows the augmented reality system to understand where it is. It is this that differentiates the AR industry from its sister technology, virtual reality. The computer vision establishes its 3D surroundings and then adds digital layers to this in the most realistic way possible, using rendering software.

 

Computer vision is a form of technology that allows a machine to understand the world around it. It does this by combining both semantics, which tells it what it is looking at, as well as geometry, which is the relationship the objects have with each other and the environment. Essentially, it understands the 3D world from a 2D image, then inserts a 2D image onto the 3D world in the most realistic way possible.

 A recent AR Hololens project we worked on…

How is AR used for marketing?

There are many possibilities for using AR in marketing. You can add a virtual element to your business cards and brochures. Customers can scan printed materials for more information about the products and brand being advertised. For example, scan a real estate brochure for a property in Albert Park to bring up a video about the house that catches your eye.

 

Scanning a business card could bring up a variety of other contact options that allows you to connect with a single click to email, phone or social media. Or it could bring up a video of you introducing yourself and/or your business.

 

Augmented reality can also be used to enhance the status of your brand itself. It can be used to create an exciting and new AR experience that can generate significant buzz. For example, an Uber AR experience in Zurich created exciting journeys for their users which generated significant PR . In a busy market place, a clever augmented reality campaign can really help you to stand out.

 

One of the key marketing powers of AR is to let users ‘try before they buy’. This has applications in a range of industries, from fashion and automobiles to furniture and interior design. For example, the IKEA place AR app lets customers see what furniture would look like in their homes before buying and Dulux allows you to see how different colour paints will look in your home.

 

In terms of Melbourne construction and real estate industries, augmented reality can be used to help clients see what fully realised projects at Collins Wharf or Southbank will look. Projects like Queens Place or The Malt District that are mid build can be viewed in a finished state from both in and outside the building. This can help to create emotional attachments and boost sales and investment.

How can AR benefit your business

Depending on the nature of your business in Melbourne, augmented reality can have a number of key benefits. For retailers, it means you can take the store to your customers, with leading examples being Converse and Gucci using AR technology to allow customers to virtually ‘try on’ their products from the comfort of their own home. For designers and builders, you can help clients to see the bigger picture using AR Australia to replace technical drawings and colour swatches with something customers more easily understand.

 

Augmented reality offers new levels of immersive and interactive content. Rather than just reading content on a phone or tablet you can experience it in AR. For example food retailer Tesco allowed its customers to take selfies with their favourite Frozen characters when launching a new range of Disney branded products.

 

It is also possible to use augmented reality to offer workforce training without the risk. The US military uses it to simulate training combat, which increases effectivity and safety. There are applications AR for use in medicine, both in training and live operations, for example a procedure could be completed at The Royal Melbourne Hospital with the help of a specialist in London.

 

In construction again, augmented reality can help to spot potential problems before they arise. Use the technology to get a clear picture of how planned structures will fit into a space.

Real use cases for augmented reality