AR software helps users integrate digital projections of objects into the real world seamlessly. This helps buyers trial products virtually, increasing their likelihood of purchasing.
Key takeaways:
- AR software allows brands to merge computer-generated objects with the real world to provide immersive experiences to their customers
- The next generation of consumer groups considers AR technology essential
- Brands can integrate AR software to boost sales, reduce returns, and drive user engagement
What is AR software?
Augmented reality (AR) software enables users to enhance their surroundings by adding a layer of digital content.
The projected digital content occupies a defined place in the user’s real-world surroundings. So, when a user enables AR software on their smartphone and views a 3D projection, it will appear on the smartphone screen as though the object really exists in the physical world. If the user moves the phone around, the 3D projection will remain in the same virtual position, unless the user chooses to manipulate or move it via the software.
So, how does it work?
AR software uses a camera-enabled device to integrate 3D digital information with real world visual data. It uses the camera to visualize and capture dimensions from the real world, and utilizes simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technology and depth tracking to understand where to overlay the digital object. Once that’s done, the output device retrieves the 3D projection from the server and places it onto the mapped location digitally. Now the user can view the object on their screen, in real-time 3D.
Why businesses should invest in AR software
Experts predict that AR adoption will increase and the market size will grow US$108.57 billion by 2025. The technologies used to access AR will also change.
AR is currently accessible to the masses through smartphones and tablets, and this mobile tech currently has a market size of US€16.6 billion in 2022.
However, AR glasses are quickly gaining prominence. That’s because 3D projections aren’t bound to screen resolutions with glasses, the processing time is quicker, and most importantly, users are already familiar with this technology. A Forrester report even projects that 14 million Americans will be using smart glasses for their work by 2025.
As AR technologies progress and become more accessible, people will demand personalized and immersive brand experiences. For perspective, 100 million consumers already use AR in-store. A survey even showed that 51% of Gen Z, the youngest and perhaps largest consumer spending group by 2026, consider AR to be very important to them.
To elevate the customer experience, integrating AR software into the customer journey is essential. And using the right software is crucial.
Industry-leading AR software: Sketchfab, Clavax, Wikitude
Sketchfab’s software is already one of the key players in the market. The company has over five million members using its 3D/VR viewer, including Audi, Philips, Balenciaga, and the British Museum. The software offers quick rendering, and also provides its customers with thousands of 3D and AR options, along with simple ways to integrate them. Recently, Effect House, TikTok’s effect development platform that helps create AR effects for TikTok users, announced the integration of Sketchfab to improve their customer experience.
Another market competitor is Clavax. This company develops immersive AR and VR apps for its clients and provides end-to-end services from brand strategy to app development. The brand has collaborated with businesses like Fujitsu and Kane’s furniture. In 2017, they became an Oracle Partner Network Gold Level Partner.
Finally, Wikitude provides dynamic AR technology with cutting-edge tools that enable companies to create innovative, responsive, and sustainable AR experiences for their customers. This Austrian software platform was launched in 2018 and, in 2021, became a part of the Qualcomm group of companies, officially entering the mobile technology industry.
How can Enhance help?
Enhance is an AR software as a service (SaaS) provider that helps businesses create immersive and engaging customer journeys through WebAR. It creates 3D projections of large products and big-ticket items with insights from its expert team of content creators, developers, and industry experts. It also cuts out the apps, coding, and web integration by managing, editing, and storing everything in one place.
Additionally, the company also helps businesses integrate WebAR technologies into their workflows and provides analytics from customer interactions with 3D products. Such customer insights help businesses make data-backed decisions, thereby boosting their sales.
Buyers, in turn, can interact with 3D products virtually, change viewing angles and visualize how the products will look in the real world with 3D AR technology. This can help them make more confident purchase decisions, reduce returns and save on fuel and transport costs.
