A new augmented reality app is helping people decorate more quickly as it acts as a ‘virtual tape measure’.
Manchester-based mixed reality start-up DigitalBridge has developed innovative measurement tool Survey which allows people to accurately measure out floor plans by simply walking around the room.
It is currently available for Apple devices that are compatible with ARKit, and is soon to be available for Android devices that support ARCore.
The app has been developed to work in conjunction with DigitalBridge’s forthcoming design visualiser, which uses AR, computer vision and machine learning to allow customers to “try out” new kitchen, bedroom and bathroom designs in their own rooms.
“Being unable to visualise what a new and expensive bathroom or kitchen would actually look like in their home has been a long-standing frustration for consumers – and a commercial challenge for retailers,” said David Levine, CEO of DigitalBridge.
“That’s why we have developed Survey, and our upcoming Aspect design visualiser tool, to help transform the shopping experience for consumers.
“A new kitchen, bedroom or bathroom is usually one of the biggest investments people make after buying their home, so our AR technology essentially brings the showroom to customers so they can try out the products they like in accurately measured designs of their rooms.”
DigitalBridge has developed the new AR applications to help overcome the problem of the ‘imagination gap’, which occurs when consumers walk away from purchases because they can’t imagine what products will look like once they get home.
New research commissioned by the Manchester-based company has found that more than half of homeowners (51 per cent) have decided against a kitchen, bedroom or bathroom renovation project in the last year because of this issue.
While still a relatively young company, DigitalBridge has quickly become established as an innovative retail technology business, having received investment from John Lewis and innovation specialist L Marks.
It has also been named best company at the retail giant’s JLAB accelerator programme in 2016, and recognised as one of the most innovative start-ups in the retail technology sector by Retail Week Live and Wired Retail. Most recently DigitalBridge was named as one of the world’s top tech companies to watch by California-based NVIDIA after winning its retail inception accelerator scheme.