Rejus Almole – Page 202

The Most Important Upcoming AR/VR Events This Year

AR/VR events, augmented reality, AWE, Events, extended reality, featured, trending, virtual reality / Rejus Almole / April 17, 2023

After the COVID-19 pandemic made most event organizers cancel their live AR/VR events or host them virtually, in the past year more and more live events are making a comeback. Even the immersive industry needs a real-life environment to discover gadgets and try AR/VR content.

And we will tell you exactly where you should go if you want to try the most exciting discoveries and devices. Also, we know that if you work in this industry, you should not miss these AR/VR events, either. You have the great opportunity to network with peers or even discover new business or employment opportunities.

The Most Relevant AR/VR Events in 2023 You Should Not Miss

Here are some of the most important AR/VR events that are taking place until the end of this year.

1. AWE USA 2023

When: May 31 – June 2

Where: Santa Clara, CA, US; and virtual

AWE USA 2023

Late spring/early summer is a great time to be in California. This year, it is made even better by one of the top AR/VR events: AWE USA. This is one of the most comprehensive fairs for professionals, stakeholders, and tech enthusiasts focused on immersive technologies.

They will be able to test various gadgets, discover content trends, and attend insightful keynote presentations. Attendees will be able to hear from a vast number of XR professionals, such as Peggy Johnson (the CEO of Magic Leap), Hugo Swat (Vice-President and General Manager of XR at Qualcomm), Chi Xu (CEO of Nreal), Elizabeth Hyman (CEO of XR Association), John Riccitiello (CEO of Unity), Kavya Pearlman (Founder & CEO of XR Safety Initiative), and many more.

For those who can’t attend in person, there’s also the option to access some parts of the event online through the awe.live platform.

As AWE USA 2023 media partner, ARPost offers its readers a 20% discount code. Use the code 23ARPOSTD during registration.

2. XR Expo 2023

When: June 15-16

Where: Stuttgart, Germany

XR Expo 2023

If you happen to be in Germany this summer for business, you can also put aside two days to attend XR Expo 2023. This B2B event will bring together industry users, technology providers, content service providers, and XR researchers, and will focus on professional applications of extended reality technologies in health, industry, architecture, and trade and craft.

Right now, registration for XR Expo 2023 is open, but the event’s program is still under development.

3. Enterprise Metaverse Summit

When: June 28-29

Where: London, UK; and virtual

Enterprise Metaverse Summit 2023

Another AR/VR event taking place in Europe, Enterprise Metaverse Summit is hosted by the British weekly newspaper The Economist. The event audience includes senior executives focused on XR, automation, IoT, 5G, the future of work, AI, machine learning, and edge computing.

This year’s event will cover a vast number of topics, from how the metaverse is expected to replace or improve human experiences at work, and how VR is making surgeries safer, to how the metaverse can help businesses become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint, and the benefits of VR as an engine to catalyze diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Attendees will be able to hear from speakers such as Meta Reality Labs’ VP Christine Trodella, Wallart’s Head of 3D Creative Technology Cynthia Maller, MetaVRse co-founder Alan Smithson, and EndeavorXR founder and CEO Amy Peck.

For all those who cannot attend, the event organizers offer a free virtual pass for full access to all virtual sessions on the first day of the event.

4. XR:WA

When: July 20-23

Where: Perth, Western Australia

XR:WA 2023

Australian winter is mild compared to the summer heat in many parts of the US, so it’s a great moment to attend one of the best AR/VR events of the year. XR:WA is for everyone, from those curious to try immersive experiences for the first time to seasoned professionals.

The event aims to discuss the impact and opportunities for XR across a number of industries including architecture, design, medicine, education, training, science, art, and entertainment.

Back for its fifth edition, the event activities include talks, panels, various AR and VR experiences, workshops, a trade floor, and exhibition.

5. Industrial IMMERSIVE Week

When: August 28-30

Where: Houston, TX

Industrial Immersive Week 2023 event

Industrial IMMERSIVE Week is one of the AR/VR events for professionals interested in XR, spatial computing, digital twins, AI, IIoT, 5G, 3D models and simulations, and connected workforce solutions.

Touted as the event “where industry goes for real-world use cases, best practices and emerging tech for your enterprise to launch, pilot and deploy metaverse programs,” Industrial IMMERSIVE Week is intended for professionals from diverse industries, including manufacturing, construction, oil and gas, engineering, mining, automotive, aerospace, and logistics.

From C-suite leaders, to department leaders and professionals, Industrial IMMERSIVE Week brings together seasoned specialists and decision-makers. Some of the most important Fortune 500 companies will be represented at the event, including Boeing, Canon, Shell, Amazon, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise.

6. Augmented Enterprise Summit

When: October 24-26

Where: Houston, TX; virtual

Augmented Enterprise Summit 2023

As its name suggests, this AR/VR event is aimed at enterprises. Augmented Enterprise Summit is dedicated to the business and industrial applications of XR and other metaverse-related emerging technologies.

This year, the event boasts an impressive line-up of speakers including NASA’s Simulation and Graphics Capabilities Manager Angelica Garcia, CocaCola’s Director of Technical Training and Development Michael Whatley, Airbus Head of Augmented Worker Product Andreas Oeder, and Amazon Web Services Principal Spatial Computing Solutions Architect Kurt Scheuringer.

Among the sponsors and exhibitors, you can find a number of XR companies such as Mytaverse, RealWear, Strivr, and Vuzix.

Aside from more than a thousand expected attendees, the 10th Augmented Enterprise Summit will also feature over 50 exhibitors and sponsors, and more than 50 educational sessions.

The event also offers a virtual pass, with access to a virtual event app, digital exhibitor zone, exclusive post-event resources, and all sessions and on-demand recordings. As Augmented Enterprise Summit media partner, we can offer our readers 15% off for event tickets with the code arpost15.

The Most Important Upcoming AR/VR Events This Year Read More »

Low-carbon energy startup wins Crown Agreement for 30MW tidal project

Europe, Next Featured, Sustainability / Rejus Almole / April 14, 2023

Fossil-free though it may be, hydropower comes with its specific set of challenges. It has a high initial cost, and can often be invasive and destructive to local communities and biodiversity. Furthermore, it will, in all likelihood, become increasingly susceptible to droughts. But what if we could harness the power of the oceans themselves?

This is what Scotland-based Orbital Marine Power is aiming to do with its 2MW+ O2. Its developers say it is the world’s most powerful tidal turbine under commercial operation and a result of 15 years of refinement.

Now, Orbital has just won an Option Agreement from Crown Estate Scotland for a new tidal energy project in the Westray Firth. This is an area of water in the Orkney islands where tidal speeds can reach over 3m/s.

Adding more tidal turbines to marine energy centre

The low-carbon energy startup has already deployed one unit of the O2 at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), supplying energy to the UK grid since July, 2021. Following the award of contracts for difference (CfDs) – the UK government’s main mechanism for supporting low-carbon electricity generation – from allocation round 4 last year, it is getting ready to install a further three turbines.

Essentially, tidal turbines work the same way a wind turbine does, only it is streams of water that move them, not air. Orbital’s floating O2 platform is 243 feet long and placed in tidal streams and moored to the seabed via strong anchors that hold it in place. It is connected to the local electricity grid via a subsea cable.

JUICE-ESA-launch-jupiter-space — The Ariane 5 rocket will blast Juice into orbit. The launch will be the penultimate flight for the heavy-lift Ariane 5, which is soon to retire after more than 30 years in service. Credit: ESA.

Juice-satellite-launch-ESA-jupiter — The Ariane 5 rocket will blast Juice into orbit. The launch will be the penultimate flight for the heavy-lift Ariane 5, which is soon to retire after more than 30 years in service. Credit: ESA.

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Announcing TNW Conference 2023: Reclaim the future

Ecosystems, Events, Insider, Next Featured, Startups and technology / Rejus Almole / April 12, 2023

Story by

Zach Butler

Events Director at TNW. Events Director at TNW.

When TNW Conference first took place in 2006, the digital disruption was still in its early stages. The conference served as a platform for forward thinkers to explore what a tech-enabled future could, and eventually would, look like.

Today, technology has transformed everything. Yet somehow, the future used to feel more promising than it does now. There’s no need to elaborate on the emotions that come to mind when thinking about the future in a time of such uncertainty and anxiety.

As one of the premier tech events and media brands in Europe, we are acutely aware of the power and responsibility that comes with being able to reach millions of people and promote impactful messages. And I believe that this period in TNW Conference’s 17-year history is perhaps more important than ever before.

In the past few turbulent years, we chose not to have an evolving annual theme for the event. Instead, we focused on showcasing our beloved conference as the place where “the next in tech” is discovered, right now. That fundamental aspect will never change, but in 2023, it’s time for us to be bold again.

So, if TNW is the heart of tech, then we need to be the place where the passionate individuals creating, investing in, or utilising technology for a better future can come together. And even better, in a space that is inclusive, engaging, and enjoyable.

We’ve been doing this for 17 years without explicitly saying it, but TNW Conference is the place where you can reclaim the future. This year, we’re making it the main theme of the event.

This summer, let’s go back to when the future excited us. When technology meant hope, innovation, endless possibilities. Not with the all-encompassing techno-optimism of the 2000s, but with a responsible, balanced approach of the 2020s that still leaves us the mental space to be inspired, curious, and empowered.

Join us in Amsterdam on June 15–16, 2023 to rediscover the excitement and promise that technology holds, and let’s shape a brighter tomorrow together. See you in the future.

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Announcing TNW Conference 2023: Reclaim the future Read More »

Influencing the Metaverse: The Sandbox and Influential Join Forces to Level Up Brand Experiences

featured, Marketing, metaverse / Rejus Almole / April 12, 2023

The Sandbox, the company that brought Netflix’s Squid Game experience to the VR world, has forged a partnership with Influential to bring influencer marketing into the metaverse. Influential is one of the biggest influencer marketing agencies, with over 3 million creators on its network. The partnership allows brands to tap into this global network and create immersive brand experiences on The Sandbox.

A New Way to Reach Audiences in the Metaverse

Influencer marketing has disrupted the traditional marketing industry. With its focus on peer power instead of celebrity endorsements, influencers have made their mark on many industries. And with this partnership, Web3 opens up more marketing opportunities for brands and creators alike. The collaboration between a prominent marketing agency and a massive 3D virtual universe opens up new marketing channels for brands.

The Sandbox is a decentralized, virtual gaming world where creators can build different types of assets and gaming experiences. Users can then either monetize their content via the Ethereum blockchain or simply share it with others.

The Sandbox metaverse

It uses a no-code platform for creating digital assets and experiences. This is good news for Influential creators, who will undergo training on navigating and using The Sandbox virtual world to create immersive experiences for players. By leveraging these new skills, creators can increase their reach and drive engagement for their communities. It becomes a new way to interact with audiences and build their influence.

Connecting Brands, Creators, and Communities With Immersive Experiences

Both The Sandbox and Influential are excited about the new opportunities this collaboration will bring. While not entirely novel, influencer marketing in Web3 is still largely untapped. Experts predict, however, that influencer marketing in the metaverse will have a huge impact on how brands, creators, and audiences interact with each other.

Influential believes that the metaverse can bring influencer marketing to a higher level of entertainment and engagement. “Consumers and brands are craving immersive experiences with creators,” Influential CEO Ryan Detert said in a press release shared with ARPost.

Unlike influencer marketing on social media, VR delivers more interactive and immersive experiences for consumers. Instead of passively viewing sponsored posts and videos, audiences can participate in games and other VR experiences. This can yield positive sentiment toward brands, and give consumers a chance to interact virtually with products or brand advocates. Brands benefit from a wider reach and increased engagement with their audience.

These opportunities for influencer marketing in the metaverse are not lost on Detert. He believes that working with The Sandbox is a positive step toward the future of influencer marketing. “We’re delighted to partner with The Sandbox to add another dimension to our offering and help some of the world’s most ambitious brands explore the limitless opportunities in this space as they take their first steps into the metaverse,” he said.

The Metaverse: The Future of Entertainment Culture

Meanwhile, for Mathieu Cervety, The Sandbox’s Ecosystem Partnerships Director, Influential’s entrance into the company’s VR gaming world provides brands with exciting possibilities in the Web3 community. “Influential is in a unique position to help major brands become stronger in the new entertainment culture at the crossroads of gaming, the creator economy, and true digital ownership,” he said.

With influencer marketing reaching a market value of $16.4 billion in 2022, its potential impact on the metaverse is noteworthy. Add to that The Sandbox’s huge network of players and the possibilities for engagement and community-driven experiences are phenomenal.

Influencing the Metaverse: The Sandbox and Influential Join Forces to Level Up Brand Experiences Read More »

PSVR 2: ‘Pavlov’ & ‘Kayak VR’ Reaffirmed as Top Downloads in First Full Month Since Launch

kaya vr mirage, kayak vr, News, pavlov, PlayStation VR 2 / Rejus Almole / April 11, 2023

PlayStation VR 2 launched in late February, and it wasn’t certain just how its smallish library of games would stack up in the headset’s first monthly top download report, which critically only accounted for the first week of user downloads. Now it’s clear: Pavlov and Kayak VR: Mirage are undoubtedly fan favorites.

Taking the top spot across the US & Canada and the EU is Vankrupt Games’ online multiplayer shooter Pavlov, which offers up a wide range of content beyond its classic 5v5 attack & defend mode.

Outside of being a popular game on basically all major VR platforms, Vankrupt is continuously expanding Pavlov’s modes, which now includes a murder mystery-inspired mode, a monster hunting mode which pits one player against nine others, and even a WWII map that lets you attack or defend Stalingrad in a 4v4 tank battle.

In PSVR 2’s inaugural top download list, Pavlov was rated number two across US & Canada and Europe, coming just below Kayak VR: Mirage, a kayak racing sim initially released on SteamVR headsets in 2022 by Amsterdam-based indie studio Better Than Life.

Kayak VR is still alive and kicking though, as it remains in the top three across the US & Canada, EU, and Japan, although it’s a good sign that any online multiplayer game is doing well on the platform, since it relies so heavily on populated servers to stay relevant.

Meanwhile, the platform’s premier single-player VR-native Horizon Call of the Mountain is no longer stacking up as the third most downloaded game in the US & Canada and Europe; it’s still remaining strong in Japan though.

That doesn’t mean people aren’t playing Horizon Call of the Mountain through. It’s important to note that the chart below is counting PS Store purchases and not bundled or upgraded content, which notably includes big titles such as Horizon Call of the Mountain, Gran Turismo 7, and Resident Evil Village.

Check out the full list below:

PSVR 2 March Top Downloads

	US/Canada	EU	Japan
1	Pavlov	Pavlov	Kayak VR: Mirage
2	The Dark Pictures: Switchback	Kayak VR: Mirage	The Dark Pictures: Switchback
3	Kayak VR: Mirage	The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution	Horizon Call of the Mountain
4	The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners – Chapter 2: Retribution	Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge	Drums Rock
5	Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge	Drums Rock	DYSCHRONIA: Chronos Alternate
6	PISTOL WHIP	PISTOL WHIP	Puzzling Places
7	Horizon Call of the Mountain	Synth Riders	Onogoro Monogatari ~The Tale of Onogoro~
8	Swordsman VR	Swordsman VR	PISTOL WHIP
9	Drums Rock	Horizon Call of the Mountain	The Light Brigade
10	Job Simulator	Job Simulator	Swordsman VR

PSVR 2: ‘Pavlov’ & ‘Kayak VR’ Reaffirmed as Top Downloads in First Full Month Since Launch Read More »

Meta Shows New Progress on Key Tech for Making AR Genuinely Useful

ar, Artificial Intelligence, augmented reality, Meta, meta sam, News, object segmentation, sa-1b / Rejus Almole / April 11, 2023

Meta has introduced the Segment Anything Model, which aims to set a new bar for computer-vision-based ‘object segmentation’—the ability for computers to understand the difference between individual objects in an image or video. Segmentation will be key for making AR genuinely useful by enabling a comprehensive understanding of the world around the user.

Object segmentation is the process of identifying and separating objects in an image or video. With the help of AI, this process can be automated, making it possible to identify and isolate objects in real-time. This technology will be critical for creating a more useful AR experience by giving the system an awareness of various objects in the world around the user.

The Challenge

Imagine, for instance, that you’re wearing a pair of AR glasses and you’d like to have two floating virtual monitors on the left and right of your real monitor. Unless you’re going to manually tell the system where your real monitor is, it must be able to understand what a monitor looks like so that when it sees your monitor it can place the virtual monitors accordingly.

But monitors come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Sometimes reflections or occluded objects make it even harder for a computer-vision system to recognize.

Having a fast and reliable segmentation system that can identify each object in the room around you (like your monitor) will be key to unlocking tons of AR use-cases so the tech can be genuinely useful.

Computer-vision based object segmentation has been an ongoing area of research for many years now, but one of the key issues is that in order to help computers understand what they’re looking at, you need to train an AI model by giving it lots images to learn from.

Such models can be quite effective at identifying the objects they were trained on, but if they will struggle on objects they haven’t seen before. That means that one of the biggest challenges for object segmentation is simply having a large enough set of images for the systems to learn from, but collecting those images and annotating them in a way that makes them useful for training is no small task.

SAM I Am

Meta recently published work on a new project called the Segment Anything Model (SAM). It’s both a segmentation model and a massive set of training images the company is releasing for others to build upon.

The project aims to reduce the need for task-specific modeling expertise. SAM is a general segmentation model that can identify any object in any image or video, even for objects and image types that it didn’t see during training.

SAM allows for both automatic and interactive segmentation, allowing it to identify individual objects in a scene with simple inputs from the user. SAM can be ‘prompted’ with clicks, boxes, and other prompts, giving users control over what the system is attempting to identifying at any given moment.

It’s easy to see how this point-based prompting could work great if coupled with eye-tracking on an AR headset. In fact that’s exactly one of the use-cases that Meta has demonstrated with the system:

Here’s another example of SAM being used on first-person video captured by Meta’s Project Aria glasses:

You can try SAM for yourself in your browser right now.

How SAM Knows So Much

Part of SAM’s impressive abilities come from its training data which contains a massive 10 million images and 1 billion identified object shapes. It’s far more comprehensive than contemporary datasets, according to Meta, giving SAM much more experience in the learning process and enabling it to segment a broad range of objects.

Meta calls the SAM dataset SA-1B, and the company is releasing the entire set for other researchers to build upon.

Meta hopes this work on promptable segmentation, and the release of this massive training dataset, will accelerate research into image and video understanding. The company expects the SAM model can be used as a component in larger systems, enabling versatile applications in areas like AR, content creation, scientific domains, and general AI systems.

Meta Shows New Progress on Key Tech for Making AR Genuinely Useful Read More »

The rise of Europe’s drone sector sees new jobs taking off

Future of Work, Startups and technology / Rejus Almole / April 11, 2023

There was plenty of excitement late last year when Alphabet, Google’s parent company, announced a European testbed for its drone delivery subsidiary, Wing.

Wing’s delivery drone network is already being tested at scale in Australia and, last October, a small suburb of Dublin was selected for its first trials in the EU.

It signalled a vote of confidence from the Big Tech giant for the region’s drone ecosystem, with a spokesperson from Wing citing “the progress on drone regulations” in the EU as a reason for moving forward with tests there.

Ireland has already served as a successful launchpad for drone delivery startup Manna, which is now starting trials in the US, and there are many more drone startups taking off across Europe.

UK company Skyports plans to expand its drone delivery service across Europe and beyond, and recently opened offices in South Korea. Germany-based Wingcopter is currently looking into how hydrogen might power its fleet of delivery drones.

The drone industry isn’t just about delivery, either. Proveye, another Irish company, is advancing drone-based image processing for use in agriculture.

Swedish company Skyqraft uses a system of drones and AI to conduct power line inspections. Dutch startup Fusion Engineering develops flight controls for commercial drones. France-headquartered IVA Drones is spearheading the new business category of drones-as-a-service, offering businesses a way to book drones for any mission they might have for them.

Drones are in the entertainment business too, with companies such as Dronisos, also based in France, choreographing drone flights for dazzling light shows, and many more specialist operators working on film sets and photoshoots.

Putting drones to work

Also known as uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) or uncrewed aircraft systems (UASs), businesses are finding many uses for drones in their work.

While a prime opportunity has been identified in last-mile delivery services, this has proven a tough course to chart. Even a major player such as Amazon, which has spent many years trying to get its Prime Air project off the ground, has hit upon challenges that have set its plans back time and time again.

While this segment of the drone industry has experienced its rises and falls, there are other implementations of this technology making steady progress.

Drone photography and video capture is not only being used by creatives, but also in the industrial sector where the vantage point only drones can offer proves useful.

Drones give visibility to towering structures with minimal safety risk for the workers tasked with maintaining them. When combined with computer vision technology, they can be of further assistance in detection and monitoring.

Jobs in the drone industry

The industry rising up around drone technology means new jobs are being created in this sector.

First and foremost, companies who want to put drones to work need people who can fly them, such as drone operators and pilots.

Mechanical engineers are needed in the build and manufacturing stage, while drone technicians and mechanics are also required to ensure entire fleets are kept up to spec and flight-ready.

Photographers and videographers who have mastered the art of flying a drone while capturing stunning, steady visuals can find work in the creative sector or even provide a feed of stock footage and images for the industry.

Purpose-built drones also require purpose-built software, opening up a new category of software development. Autonomous drones in particular present a challenge for programmers, making use of AI for navigation and route-mapping.

And, as this is still an emerging tech space, companies going deep into the research and development of drones are hiring flight sciences teams to help understand, inspect, and improve aerodynamics, propulsion, performance, stability, and flight controls.

This is where specialists from the aviation industry can pivot to a career the drone sector, where their experience and skills come at a premium.

Getting on board

For those who have more than a fleeting interest in drones, a good place to start would be to invest in a craft and familiarise yourself with local regulations, such as height limits and geographic restrictions. If it’s a drone equipped with a camera or sensor, you’ll need to be extra careful in terms of data collection rules, and always be careful not to trespass on private property.

To fly it, you must register as a drone operator and pass a drone pilot exam. This can be completed following online training with your national aviation authority.

Ready to build an exciting career in the drone industry? Check out the House of Talent Job Board to find companies hiring now

The rise of Europe’s drone sector sees new jobs taking off Read More »

Top 5 E-Commerce AR and VR Trends To Follow in 2023

augmented reality, e-commerce, featured, Guest Post, Retail & E-Commerce, virtual reality / Rejus Almole / April 11, 2023

AR and VR are two of the most promising technologies of the modern era. Both can potentially revolutionize how we interact with the world around us. However, these technologies have taken a long time to reach their full potential.

While AR and VR have been around for decades, it wasn’t until recently that they offered a quality experience without being too limited by technological constraints or not being portable enough for widespread use.

Nevertheless, they’ve been making waves in many industries. And now, the e-commerce industry is hopping on board. Statista reports that by 2023, there will be 1.4 billion AR devices worldwide, projected to rise to 1.73 billion by 2024.

Number of mobile augmented reality (AR) active user devices worldwide from 2019 to 2024 - Statista — *Source:* *Statista*

What should we expect from AR and VR in 2023 and beyond? In this article, we will explore the potential of AR and VR for e-commerce and how they can enhance your shopping experience.

1. Increased Adoption of AR in E-Commerce

According to a recent survey, 38% of marketers reported using AR in 2022. It’s a significant increase from the 23% reported in 2017. And it’s understandable, given AR technology’s benefits to e-commerce customers.

For example, it allows them to feel like they’re physically interacting with products in a brick-and-mortar store while being online. AR can also help consumers visualize how products will look in their homes or on their bodies, improving the shopping experience and leading to more informed purchasing decisions and fewer returns.

Looking ahead to 2023, there are six exciting trends in the AR shopping space to keep an eye on. They are:

1. Social Media Apps and Camera Filters

Social media apps and camera filters, with Snapchat and Instagram leading the charge by incorporating AR into their platforms. Brands can use SnapAR Lens Studio or Meta Spark to create engaging AR filters and lenses that bring products to life. A case in point is Gucci.

Gucci AR instagram filter — *Screenshots taken on the official Gucci Instagram account*

2. Virtual Try-On Technology

Virtual try-on technology to see how products look on shoppers like on the Sephora Snapchat page.

Sephora Snapcaht Lens — *Screenshots taken on the official Sephora Snapchat account*

3. Virtual Showrooms

Virtual showrooms are similar to try-on but involve the buyer flipping the camera around. For example, it’s popular among furniture stores like EQ3.

virtual showroom EQ3 — *Screenshots taken on the official EQ3 website*

4. Better AR Hardware Options

Better AR hardware options, caused by innovations in mobile technology, such as LiDAR and ToF (depth sensing hardware). Companies like Google, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Vuzix are developing smart glasses to enhance the AR experience.

5. AR Mirrors

AR mirrors for in-store shopping, assisting buyers who are in-store and either don’t want to test various alternatives or can’t for whatever reasons.

6. Gamifying

Gamifying in-store shopping to connect physical products with apps, creating a fun and interactive shopping experience.

2. VR-Enabled Online Shopping Experiences

VR creates an immersive visual environment, including 360-degree videos, photos, product demos, and complex experiences using devices such as the HTC Vive or Oculus Quest.

Unlike AR, VR is entirely simulated and disconnected from the physical world. VR can benefit businesses in various ways, such as:

virtual tours of showrooms and stores;
visualization of products;
greater user engagement;
increased consumer trust;
enhanced conversion rates;
better retention rates;
improved customer service.

However, it’s essential to remember the “shiny toy syndrome” and avoid it. Ensure that VR experiences align with your business goals and customer needs before opting for them. E-commerce stores can use VR for the following purposes:

virtual stores with virtual clothing racks, an opportunity to meet with friends and shop together online;
“try before you buy”;
in-store experiences;
live events;
interactive education.

3. Introducing AI Into AR and VR Solutions

Artificial intelligence can integrate with AR and VR technologies to revolutionize the shopping experience. AI-powered 3D representation of products in a user’s environment can increase conversions. How? Here is how AI can enhance virtual experiences:

1. Object Recognition

AR and VR experiences can adjust to the user’s movements and actions thanks to AI algorithms’ ability to detect and track things in real time.

2. Computer Vision

It involves image recognition and tracking, enabling the system to respond to the environment.

3. Natural Language Processing (NLP)

NLP is about using voice commands for people to explore and interact with virtual worlds.

4. Predictive Analytics

As AI can predict user behavior, merchants can build personalized and proactive experiences.

5. Usage Analytics

AI can also help analyze usage data and client feedback. You can optimize your AR/VR services and boost buyer satisfaction based on the results.

6. Personalized Experiences

One of the ways to employ customer insights is to tailor offers to their tastes. It can boost satisfaction and sales.

4. Creating Digital Twins

The past year has seen an increase in AR and 3D technology use by fashion brands to boost sales and brand recognition in physical and virtual worlds. And in 2023, we can expect more brands to utilize AR innovatively.

It includes the ability to try on digital versions of physical clothing on your avatar. Another example is unlocking special effects for physical apparel. Some brands create digital-only looks that users can capture on camera and share on social media.

This trend becomes possible thanks to avatar platforms and AR features such as image targets and body tracking. So brands can offer and sell virtual goods. And with NFC (Near Field Communication) and QR codes embedded in physical apparel, you can transform one thing (for example, a T-shirt) into infinite designs.

5. Security Concerns Over the Usage of AR and VR

Consumers are increasingly concerned about privacy, security, and safety in computing. The metaverse, new headsets, and more AR and VR content have made safety a greater focus. Devices can now gather more information through eye and hand tracking. AR also relies on spatial data to immerse users. That’s why customers remain skeptical about using such devices daily.

How can people safely enjoy digital realities? We need new frameworks, regulations, and social contracts prioritizing safety. All these require collaboration through working groups, policy and standard discussions, and new software solutions for moderation and cyber threats.

Final Word

To sum up, AR and VR can enhance the e-commerce industry by improving the customer experience, driving more engagement, and cutting costs. But there are many challenges to overcome before these technologies can become mainstream.

For example, some websites are incompatible with VR headsets or AR apps. Why? The reason is that they were not built with those devices in mind. And not everyone owns a headset or smartphone capable of using these technologies.

That’s why e-commerce merchants should take advantage of these new opportunities to not lose potential clients due to incompatibility issues. As these technologies get better, more online stores will use AR and VR to give shoppers immersive shopping experiences. The future of e-commerce is exciting. And augmented and virtual reality are sure to play a significant role in shaping it.

Guest Post

About the Guest Author(s)

Art Malkovich

Art Malkovich is CEO and co-founder of Onilab, an e-commerce development company. He has about 10 years of experience in team management and web development. He is passionate about keeping up with recent technologies and working on innovative projects like headless commerce solutions and PWAs in particular.

Top 5 E-Commerce AR and VR Trends To Follow in 2023 Read More »

Author name: Rejus Almole

The Most Relevant AR/VR Events in 2023 You Should Not Miss

1. AWE USA 2023

2. XR Expo 2023

3. Enterprise Metaverse Summit

4. XR:WA

5. Industrial IMMERSIVE Week

6. Augmented Enterprise Summit

Adding more tidal turbines to marine energy centre

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A New Way to Reach Audiences in the Metaverse

Connecting Brands, Creators, and Communities With Immersive Experiences

The Metaverse: The Future of Entertainment Culture

PSVR 2 March Top Downloads

The Challenge

SAM I Am

How SAM Knows So Much

Putting drones to work

Jobs in the drone industry

Getting on board

Ready to build an exciting career in the drone industry? Check out the House of Talent Job Board to find companies hiring now

1. Increased Adoption of AR in E-Commerce

2. VR-Enabled Online Shopping Experiences

3. Introducing AI Into AR and VR Solutions

4. Creating Digital Twins

5. Security Concerns Over the Usage of AR and VR

Final Word

About the Guest Author(s)

Art Malkovich