Enhancing Consumer Apps with Spark AR

Posted by Savita on August 2nd, 2019

Our exposure to augmented reality (AR) applications is increasing steadily as businesses and social media platforms use them to engage audiences. Leading social media players like Snapchat and Facebook have introduced AR features that enable users to alter their looks in real-time. Also, industrial AR applications are effective in industries like healthcare, education, travel and tourism, real estate, and ecommerce. Several leading and new businesses seek AR VR app development services to create interactive catalogues for influencing purchase decisions. 

According to eMarketer research, 68.7 million people will use augmented reality at least once per month in 2019. With the growing users of AR technology, it is estimated that its reach will extend to 85 million users by 2021.  

Social media giant “Facebook” introduced its AR platform as “Camera Effects Platform” in the year 2017. Later, the platform was rebranded as “AR Spark Studio” and was extended to Messenger in 2018. AR Spark enables developers to create custom or templatized AR effects that superimpose virtual objects on images captured by smartphones or tablets. End users can share their augmented photographs on Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram.

Spark AR comes with impressive tools and capabilities that enable developers to create rich, relevant, and contextually-aware AR experiences. Let’s explore some of these tools and capabilities: 

• Background Segmentation: Separates people from existing background image and places them in different environments to create new experiences.  

• Patch Editor: Adds interactions, controls audio, creates shaders, and manipulates materials without writing a single line of code. 

• Tracking: Uses AR target tracker, high-fidelity face tracking, hand tracking, body tracking to follow movements for an enhanced experience. 

• Semantic Scene Understanding: Estimates the 3D structure of the scene and creates effects that are contextually aware (systems that can sense their environment and then adapt to their behavior accordingly).  Eg: Creating heat waves that rise up when a coffee cup is recognized in the background/scene. 

• Free-to-use assets: Adds ready to use sound files directly to a scene using Facebook’s free library. Spark AR enables users to add 3D models through their partnership with Sketchfab.

• Location AR: Enables users to apply AR effects in real word settings using geo-position data. It makes pre-determined experiences available to people when they get to a certain location. 

• 3D Posts in Camera: Uses dual-camera set-up of smartphones to create 3D effects or experiences with image layering and giving each image a different perspective.  

Industries Where AR Apps are Beneficial 

1. A Good Marketing Tool for Real Estate Developers 

360-degree videos first became popular due to Google Street View. Now they have found popularity among leading brands and real estate businesses. Spark AR’s 3D posts tool is suitable from a marketing perspective for real estate developers. It enables them to provide a 360-degree view of the property to the prospects without being physically available. 

     2.  GPS Navigation Apps for Travel and Tourism

Various GPS navigation applications are integrated with AR to provide definite routes and directions to tourists for their desired destinations. AR GPS DRIVE/WALK NAVIGATION, an AR-based app uses smartphone camera and GPS to add a layer of reality to the car navigation system. 

3. Guidance Tool in Manufacturing Unit

AR can influence the manufacturing system in factories. It can play a critical role in assembling, maintainance, manufacturing, training, logistics management, quality assurance, and customer support. Interactive visuals produced with AR can accelerate manufacturing processes. The technology can enable project managers to monitor work progress in real-time. AR digital maps and plants can be used to reduce manaufacturing time in automation industries. For instance, an AR app can demonstrate how a particular machine part will fit in the final construction. 

The impact of AR technology can be realized in different spheres of business. We have outlined opportunities “Spark AR” provides to businesses and how it enables them to market their brands. 

1. Brand Engagement and Product Trials

Advertisers can make use of Augmented reality to engage with customers at a deeper level. AR apps can arouse customer curiosity and enable them to interact directly with brands, products, and services. AR enables customers to “virtually try products” 

Eg: 

1. Home Depot’s “Project Color” app enables consumers to virtually try out a paint color before it is applied on their walls. 

2. The Ikea Place AR app is designed to enable users to virtually try out products in their space. 

3. Essilor’s “help me choose” section of the website/app enables customers to see how glasses look on their face

2. Brand Recognition

Graphics used in AR technology changes the way how brands interact with consumers, products, or services.  AR establishes a connection between customers in ways that traditional print, radio, and television cannot. Business apps integrated with the Spark AR platform can engage with prospective buyers more effectively and motivate them to interact with their brands frequently. 

3. Conversion and Sales

AR adds a personal touch to shoppers’ online experience by enabling them to try products before purchasing them. It bridges the gap between physical and online shopping to significantly boost sales and reduce return rates.  

Benefits of AR can be recognized by online and offline businesses.  It has the potential to plays a significant role in improving brand engagement and improving revenues. Integrating AR with gaming apps or social media apps provides several interaction possibilities in a real-world setting. Creating a real-world environment for customers leads to a better online shopping experience, enriches learning and strengthens team collaboration.

Are you planning to upgrade your consumer apps with AR? Talk to our software developers today. We are an India based AR VR app development company that builds robust and feature-rich applications for enterprises across the globe. We enable businesses from retail, real estate, and healthcare to deliver immersive experiences. Contact our experts today for more details!