IKEA Launches New Augmented Reality App IKEA Place
IKEA has announced the launch of IKEA Place, an augmented reality (AR) application that will let people virtually place furniture starting late September. From sofas and armchairs to coffee tables, all of the products in IKEA Place are 3D and true to scale.
The app will be available in the Apple store for users with iOS 11. Built on Apple’s new ARKit technology, IKEA Place automatically scales products – based on room dimensions – with 98% accuracy. The AR technology is so precise that users will be able to see the texture of the fabric, as well as how light and shadows are rendered on furnishings.
“IKEA Place makes it easier to make buying decisions in your own place, to get inspired and try many different products, styles and colors in real-life settings with a swipe of your finger," said Michael Valdsgaard, leader digital transformation at Inter IKEA Systems. "Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster.”
In addition to digitally placing IKEA products in a room, the app allows people to capture the setting in the app and share as an image or video with friends. They can then purchase the products directly through their local IKEA website.
"ARKit gives us the opportunity to help shape the development of AR as an accessible tool for real-life decision making," continues Valdsgaard.
More than 2,000 IKEA products will be available in the app at launch, and in the future, the app will play a key role in the launch of new product lines. The products in the first release will focus on larger furniture products for the living room: all sofas, all armchairs, all footstools, all coffee tables and top-selling storage solutions that can be placed on the floor.
“Now, technology has caught up with our ambition. AR lets us redefine the experience for furniture retail once more, in our restless quest to create a better everyday life for everyone, everywhere,” says Valdsgaard.
For more on AR, click here to read RIS News' July feature: "Is Augmented Reality Finally Real?"
