How Is Augmented Reality Changing The Way We Buy Things

4 min readAug 8, 2018

From shopping minimalist things like reading glasses to lifestyle inflicting decisions like buying furniture for your new home, everything today is being sold online in a new altered way which implements 3D-rendering and augmented reality technologies.

In early stages, AR was limited to hardware like HUD and innovative handheld devices. Because augmentation techniques are typically performed in real time and in semantic context with environmental elements which needs hardware components like processor, display, sensors and input devices. All of these are available in modern mobile computing devices like smartphones and tablets as they contain similar elements which often include a camera and MEMS sensors such as an accelerometer, GPS, and solid state compass, making them sustainable AR platforms.

So with technology moving ahead with the speed of light why should we lurk behind says Shanna Tellerman, Modsy’s CEO who believes in even more robust uses for 3D renderings. According to Tellerman, “It’s important to envision the whole room, including pieces you own and pieces you’re considering purchasing.”

Augmented reality can help brands improve the customer experience both in-store and online. AR can actually improve customer experience through all the stages of the funnel bringing the best of both worlds together.

Ongoing researches on shopping experiences have clearly declared AR a better option over traditional 2D designs of most E-commerce websites as the customers get the experience of virtually ‘trying’ things online. These statements levy a huge impact on the current generation of online shopping geeks as at the comfort of their homes they not only get to scroll through a large variety of products but also technically experience the products on their physical environment and their own bodies.

Now we are expecting to see products turning the real world into fully detailed on-screen displays with real-time simulations. Making it the most immersive experience which is making two ends meet for the first time though this sounds like far-flung science fiction. Though Google Lens aims to make your smartphone’s camera even smarter by being able to accurately identify most objects by sight.

“That day is not far away when we see every inch of our world converting into a dystopian World trade center,” says Jay Samit, vice chairman of Deloitte Digital. Hardware and software companies like Apple (with their new Ar-kit software) and Samsung are slowly pointing consumer companies towards a new era of marketing where smartphone lenses would act as windows through which we can see an ‘altered’ version of our world which changes and adapts according to the customer’s will.

Best Augmented Reality E-commerce Examples

Lenskart

With their unique feature known as ‘3D Try on’ Lenskart is leading the market in spectacles selling E-commerce giants based in India. This feature is easy to use and has continued to evolve its offering. It lets users to check how a frame looks on their face by a photo perception presented in both web and app formats.

Modsy

The 3D design feature of the app lets you visualize what an upgraded living space could look like, with real pictures of your space and recommendations for modification of furniture and objects pre-tailored to your specific tastes and size parameters. The user just has to put in some efforts while taking complete measurements and pictures of the room to set clear framework.

Sephora

Sephora has defined the boundaries in terms of AR usage as this site offers a variety of features which range from trying on dresses to applying full face make-up which helps you decide what kind of look the user is aiming for dispensing a rich and meaningful experience. Customers can be confident while choosing from the wide range of products with virtually being able to ‘try on’ every product.

Tap Painter

This is a pretty vivid application which allows users to essentially check how diverse paints would look on different walls of their home. The user can even type in swatches ID to get a more accurate depiction of how their room would look like after using a particular brand of paint. This is a pretty handy app as plenty of people paint or re-paint their houses every day.

All things said and done AR is overlaying various companies’ vision over our daily life which is soon going to turn into our ‘altered’ reality which may take vigorous turns over time either harmful or beneficial it all depends on the user’s perception.

Originally published at https://medium.com on August 8, 2018.