We’ve seen how successful Niantic was with using augmented reality (AR) for games like Pokemon GO. However apart from gaming, could augmented reality be used for other things? In a recently discovered patent filed by Amazon, it seems that the company could be thinking of using AR for shopping.
How does this work? Basically the patent talks about how AR could be used to help users “try” on certain items, like clothing. The patent describes a system that would generate a cloud of data points for real-life objects, so for example if you were to use your hand, the app would keep track of your hand’s position and orientation, and use AR to impose an image of the item you want to buy, like a fitness band, smartwatch, watch, bracelet, and so on.
Through the app users will then be able to get an idea of what it could look like on them, as opposed to merely looking at photos on the internet or photos of models, in which sometimes because it looks good on someone else doesn’t mean it will look good on us. Since various factors are calculated, this system will do more than just superimpose an image, and will help make it look as “real” as possible.
Part of the patent reads, “Users who wish to purchase these physical items may find that the experience of purchasing is enhanced by more realistic presentations of the physical items on devices.” That being said while it is a clever idea, there’s no telling if and when Amazon does plan on launching such a system, but we’re seeing how Apple is already trying to do something similar with ARKit and IKEA.
Filed in . Read more about Amazon, Augmented Reality (AR) and Patent.