Examples of Augmented Reality Apps & Introduction of HelloStar Video Shout Out Process.

There are many examples of Augmented Reality apps. I list a few of them;

HelloStar Video Shout out Process

HelloStar is one of the strongest examples of a shout out app. HelloStar India is India’s first AR-Powered Influencer Messages Marketplace. At its core, the vision of HelloStar is to bring Indian Influencers closer to their fans with the integration of Augmented Reality. The Organization believes that the Indian ‘generation z’ population will help the influencers to grow in a significant way. With the help of augmented reality, the shout out process will mesmerize youngsters of India. An Influencer listed on HelloStar’s website can monetize their fame by recording short messages for their fans.

The world of Social Media has seen a huge spike in the interest of Content consumption and has resulted in a boom of content creators or influencers. HelloStar was founded by Vincent and Gary Chaglasyan, who are also the partners in HelloStar Tech LLC, based in US. Both are serial entrepreneurs with businesses in Russia, India, Europe and the USA, saw that there’s a gap in how each of these influencers and even movie stars who come on social media, interact with their fans. It is quite expected that the fans will grab the opportunity to get personalized video messages from attractive celebrities. It is the committing time to put the popular influencers into the bag of HelloStar Media.

A social media post or even an IG live session never feels personal since the influencer is broadcasting to thousands of their fans at once. And to feel connected and special, Indian fans of these content creators are ready to pay certain amounts to get connected to them. Accordingly, Indian fans of said content creators are willing to pay certain amounts to create a closer connection to their idols and feel special. Take the example of Youtube Superchat, where fans pay any live-streaming influencers Rs.40 to even Rs.10000 to feature their name on the stream for 5 seconds and ask for a shoutout.

ASOS

Asos is no stranger to mobile innovation, having previously integrated visual search into its highly usable mobile app. In 2019, Asos has fully got on board with AR, launching an experimental AR feature called Virtual Catwalk, which is designed to help app users visualise 100 Asos Design products. The feature works when a user points their smartphone camera at a suitable flat surface and clicks the ‘AR’ button on the product page in the app. Models then virtually appear, giving the customer a new and more intimate way of viewing products.

Man City

Manchester City FC has previously experimented with AR, using the technology to create immersive and interactive match day programmes. In 2019, the football club has integrated AR into its stadium visitor experience, introducing an immersive tour in celebration of its 125th birthday. Visitors of the tour will be able to use AR to ‘sit next to’ and ‘interact’ with Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, at the top table of a press conference. Alongside this, the tour includes 3D holographic content, and a 360-degree cinema screen — all designed to offer fans a truly immersive experience.

Gucci

One of the main reasons retail brands have invested in AR technology is to help customers make better and more informed product decisions. Gucci is the latest luxury brand to do so, adding an AR feature to its app to let users ‘try on’ sneakers. Pointing their smartphone camera downwards, users can choose to see a digital overlay of 19 different sneakers on their own feet, swiping left or right to change to a different pair. The app also allows users to take photos, which can then be shared on social media or in messaging apps.

Toyota

In 2019, Toyota launched the Hybrid AR app, to allow customers to gain a better understanding of how its new C-HR model. Created with agency Brandwidth, the app works by overlaying images of the inner workings of the Hybrid drivetrain onto physical vehicles. Customers can interact with the app to be able to discover more about the car’s key features, like the hybrid’s motor, battery, and its fuel tank. Customers can also go in-depth into how the car’s energy is used and how the drivetrain works in different drive states.

IKEA

Ikea Place allows users to place virtual Ikea furniture into their own home to see how everything might look once assembled. IKEA has had a 3D function in its catalogue app for a few years now, however, the scale was somewhat questionable, and it required a physical copy of the paper catalogue to work. In contrast, the new Ikea Place app is said to be 98% accurate in scale, rendering 3D images to react to light and shade — ultimately giving consumers a much more realistic portrayal.

Sephora

Cosmetics retailer Sephora’s ‘Virtual Artist’ tool has been available via its main app since 2016, and it remains one of the slickest examples of AR within beauty. Instead of furniture in homes, the AR technology lets consumers see what certain products (such as lipstick or eyeshadow) might look like on their own face. To do so, it uses Modiface technology to scan lips and eyes, before overlaying different lip colours, eye-shadows, false lashes and so on.

Modiface on Amazon

L’Oréal’s Modiface is another of the best-known examples of AR within retail, with the feature allowing customers to digitally try on make-up through the brand’s app. L’Oréal has also rolled out Modiface to Amazon customers on mobile, allowing them to also digitally overlay make-up looks onto live photos and videos. For customers, the technology provides much more certainty over what they’re buying (a product that suits the individual’s skin-tone). It also marks a big opportunity for Amazon as a player in the beauty industry, following on from the retail launching its own beauty line, ‘Belei’, earlier this year.

Adidas

Adidas is another brand to use AR for ‘try on’ purposes. In 2018, it partnered with Snapchat to create an AR lens for customers to virtually preview its new Ultraboost 19 running shoes. Accessed via lenses in the Snapchat app, users simply had to tap on the Adidas logo to launch the activation, which involved a brief unboxing before the option to learn more about the shoes or view them in AR.

Magnum

Both Magnum and Benefit have experimented with AR individually before, however, the two brands partnered up in Singapore in 2019 to create the ultimate immersive experience. Combining beauty and ice-cream, the ‘Magnum Beauty Store’ pop-up experience involved seven different zones, where visitors could engage in activities such as the personalisation of ice creams and eyebrow shaping. There was a large AR element, too, relating to the theme of “Release Your Beast”. This involved visitors engaging with Magnum’s ‘four beasts’ — the leopard, polar bear, lion and tiger — through an interactive LED wall. As well as interacting with the ‘beasts’ using AR in real-time, the photo booth allowed guests to take photos which they were then able to share directly to social media.

But AR is more than just smartphone fun. It’s a technology that finds uses in more serious matters, from business to warfare to medicine.

The U.S. Army, for example, uses AR tools to create digitally enhanced training missions for soldiers. It’s become such a prevalent concept that the army’s given one program an official name, Synthetic Training Environment, or STE. Wearable AR glasses and headsets may well help futuristic armies process data overload at incredible speeds, helping commanders make better battlefield decisions on the fly. There are fascinating business benefits, too. The Gatwick passenger app, for example, helps travellers navigate the insanity of a packed airport using its AR app.

The possibilities of AR tech are limitless. The only uncertainty is how smoothly, and quickly, developers will integrate these capabilities into devices that we’ll use on a daily basis.