AR hologram app allows shoppers to view products in 3D

UK fashion brand is incorporating AR software to offer an alternative shopping experience for its customers

Augmented reality software developer Beem has partnered with H&M group brand Monki to explore a unique creation of high definition human holograms in AR. The app will be accessible through a smartphone or tablet with minimal data usage, turnaround time and processing power. Images of nine Monki outfits will be enhanced and made available in 3D. This modern take on the shopping experience boosts customer satisfaction by allowing them to view products as though in the room. It could act also as a tool to assure their purchases are the right ones for them. Pending trials, AR’s application in this industry could change the way consumers shop in the era of online shopping.

Beem is one of the first UK startups to offer a tailored human-sized hologram service and gained access to Augmentor’s 2018 intake. Augmentor is a 10-week program supporting early stage businesses developing innovative and commercially focused applications of AR and VR. The programme gives companies technical and business mentorship and access to state-of-the-art facilities. It concludes thereafter with the opportunity to pitch their ideas at an exclusive investor showcase.

AR hit the mainstream market in the form of the Pokemon Go app in 2016. Since then, however, it has weaved its way into almost every industry. In Japan for example, a record-shaped cake in a confectionery store uses an AR app that allows the consumer to choose a customizable song or message. Elsewhere, AR glasses weighing just 120g went on sale in July that are even embedded with voice and facial recognition technology.

This innovation has also been featured in the report ‘The Future of Immersive Content’, which was inspired by recent research conducted by our partner Digital Catapult, the UK’s leading advanced digital technology innovation centre. Download the full report here.