Augmented reality–interacting with real-world objects or environments within your smartphone or tablet–has been gaining traction as a marketing device. This usually means you have to do extra work to unlock exclusive content that is, when it comes down to it, part of a marketing campaign.
Sony UK, however, has developed an augmented reality app that is of actual use to those shopping for a new TV. Their online TV Size Guide tool uses the technology to help consumers see how TVs of various sizes will look in their actual living spaces. Users download and print a marker (which fits on regular letter-size paper), tape it to a wall or mount it on a stand–wherever the new TV is meant to go–and take a picture with their smartphone or tablet. After uploading the image to the size guide tool, users can select various TV size options, and the program replaces the marker with an image of the selected TV.
It’s a cool and quite useful concept, and gives us hope that companies will further develop ideas that create real added value for the consumers as well as the companies.
Check out a demo video for the augmented reality tool from Sony UK, below, and read more at Gizmag.
