We Are Organized Chaos

Augmented Reality Is Poised To Improve Telemedicine: Orange Silicon Valley Introduces “Project DocPAL”

The whole team here at Zugara is very excited to finally be able to tell you about an R&D project we partnered with Orange Silicon Valley on: “Project DocPAL”, an augmented reality telemedicine system that uses natural user interfaces, Interactive Voice Recording, and other innovative technologies to help improve the quality of doctor patient consultations (please see the video below).

One of the pieces of emerging technology that Project DocPAL utilizes is our proprietary ZugSTAR software. ZugSTAR allows people in different locations to have shared Augmented Reality experiences from within their video feeds. For this project, it’s a Doctor and a patient. For our ecommerce augmented reality software, it would be two (or more) shoppers. The use cases are somewhat endless.

For several years now, we’ve talked about how augmented reality will ultimately change people’s lives, and how it can be so much more than just a marketing gimmick, or an overlay on your smartphone’s video feed. Hopefully projects like this help people see the potential that we see in the technology. It truly is so much more than a video playing on a marker. It’s the beginning of a whole new way of interacting with data… The Natural User Interface (NUI).

We’re truly honored that the amazing team over at Orange Silicon Valley chose us as their partner, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on the project below.

Video Credit: Adam Odessky, Product Manager and Software Developer, Orange Silicon Valley

Project Docpal from Orange San Francisco from Adam Odessky on Vimeo.

A 22 Year Old Tries Ecommerce Augmented Reality: “Seeing it on helped me decide.” (NY Times)

Typically, we don’t use this blog as a vehicle to promote media coverage of our company or our software.  This post will be an exception to the rule though because there’s a rather solid piece of qualitative data nestled in the article below.  And, as you hopefully know, it’s our goal to share as much data (from our augmented reality work) as we can with you.

In a NY Times article covering some of the ways the fashion industry has embraced augmented reality, the journalist interviewed a young woman (Elizabeth Cardy, 22) who had used The Webcam Social Shopper on Banana Flame’s site. Here’s the relevant excerpt directly from the article:

“’It was fun,’ Ms. Cardy said. ‘I’d never used my Webcam like that before.’

She was able to ‘try on’ the dress, using her computer screen as a sort of electronic mirror. By gesturing, she operated the virtual controls, adjusting the garment’s position, color and size, and then photographed herself to show friends. In the end, she bought the dress: ‘Seeing it on helped me decide.’“

That last sentence is a doozy isn’t it? Here’s a young woman, a “digital native”, letting us know that Augmented Reality (i.e. The Webcam Social Shopper) directly influenced her purchase decision.  The technology was “fun” for her to use and she made a purchase she otherwise wouldn’t have, because of AR. Don’t look now, but I think that might be called “ROI”…

As always, if you want to discuss, please comment below or you can find me on twitter here.

 

Online Retailer’s Conversion Rates Up Nearly 5x Thanks To Augmented Reality

As we noted last week, we’re going to work to share as much data as we can from retailers that license our ecommerce augmented reality software, the Webcam Social Shopper (WSS).

Today we’re only sharing one stat, but it’s pretty compelling one (we think):  Banana Flame has seen conversions on the “add to cart” button skyrocket from 1.16% to 5.38% since our Webcam Social Shopper was integrated. That means roughly five times as many people are now adding items to their cart thanks to WSS.

What do you think? Are stats like the one above proving that there’s real ROI in augmented reality?

I’d love to hear your thoughts below, or you can find me on twitter here.

The ROI Of Ecommerce Augmented Reality Software – Data From A Retail Execution

A few weeks ago, we integrated our Ecommerce Augmented Reality Software into every product detail page on Banana Flame’s site. Now, data is obviously important to our business, but it’s our position that it’s also important to the entire Augmented Reality community. “It’s cool, but where’s the ROI? Do you have any data?” is something everyone that works with AR has heard. Unfortunately, most companies are tight-lipped about the numbers they’re seeing. Which is a shame, because as an industry it’s data that will help us to drive past being seen (by others) as a “gimmick”. It’s data that turns potential clients into “buyers”, and it’s data that gives investors the confidence to “open their checkbooks”…

So, we thought we’d do our part and share some early data from our Banana Flame execution.

Banana Flame’s Site With The Webcam Social Shopper (WSS)…

• Unique visitors are up 841%.
• Unique visitors that add an item to their cart are up 182%.

Some Engagement Metrics For WSS (On Banana Flame):

• The average shopper spends 5 min 08 secs with WSS.
• 39% of shoppers click on the WSS “See How It Looks” button (on the product detail page).
• 45% of shoppers that use WSS take a photo.
• 17% of shoppers that take a photo download it to share via email.
• does not include Facebook or Twitter sharing.
• The average shopper takes 3 photos.
• 79% of shoppers allow flash to access their webcam.
• 2% of shoppers deny flash’s access to their webcam.
• 75% of shoppers actively use WSS’s Motion Capture Interface.

Please feel free to share this data with anyone that might be interested, and do keep an eye on this blog too. Since the launch of Banana Flame we’ve signed several new clients and we plan on using this platform to share as much data as we can.

As always, if you want to discuss, please comment below or you can find me on twitter here.

Why The Webcam Social Shopper Isn’t A “Virtual Fitting Room”

As other companies finally enter the augmented reality ecommerce space to try and compete with us, we’ve noticed a trend: they all refer to their execution as a “virtual fitting room”, and promise brands that they will allow shoppers to “try on clothes” from the comforts of their own homes. And while I completely understand how that metaphor would be an easy connection for potential clients to make, I’d like to take a moment to explain why we’ve always actively avoided using that type of messaging/language when discussing our Webcam Social Shopper (WSS).

Simply put: With the current technology shoppers are using at home (i.e. a normal computer and webcam) we can’t deliver on the promise of fit. No one can. And we feel it’s critical that we help brands to manage their shopper’s expectations from the get-go.

Let’s for the sake of this post completely ignore how important an apparel item’s tactile feel is when you try something on, and focus solely on what a shopper would expect when they’re in a dressing room trying something on. They’d expect to see where that item bunches, grabs, sags, and hangs. “Does the blouse hang too low?” “Are these jeans gonna give me a muffin top?” They’d want to see how that particular item would fit their very unique body, and rightfully so. Companies are proactively telling them they can “try something on”, and a shoppers only frame of reference is what happens in the real world. So all developers are doing by setting those expectations is setting shoppers (and online retailers) up to be disappointed by the experience rather than excited.

But “so what” if you can’t see how it fits? The value proposition doesn’t have to be about fit to greatly advance the current online shopping experience (especially for young women, who have grown up digital but are still shopping with their grandmother’s internet).  WSS is about validating color and style, and seeing if an item is “right for you”, just like you would at the rack in a store. It’s about asking a friend “what do you think?” and getting that all important feedback before a purchase is made. Or maybe a shopper just wants to find a top to match a particular skirt they already own at home, that we can help with. But fit? Nope. Sorry, I truly wish it could be done. At the end of the day WSS (and its imitators) is just another tool to help shoppers validate their purchase (and hopefully have some fun doing it), just like “zooming” in on an item.

Now, I’d love to get your thoughts. Are we being too literal? Getting caught in the weeds, or do you agree with us that messaging makes a difference?

twitter.com/jack_benoff

The Numbers Behind Plug-Ins & Augmented Reality – Spoiler: They’re Not Good

As some of you may know, when it comes to consumer facing Augmented Reality experiences here at Zugara we’re opposed to executions that require people to download a plug-in. Our deep experience in the interactive space has taught us that downloads are a gigantic barrier for people, that’s why our products are built in Flash (which has a penetration rate of over 99%). Of course, the question is: how big of a barrier are plug-ins?

Now the technology companies that require plug-ins for their Augmented Reality executions aren’t quick to release stats regarding bounce rates (which isn’t exactly the most shocking piece of news), but I just found some stats in a Unity Technologies blog post that I find incredibly telling. Unity Technologies are the makers of Unity 3 “a game development tool that has been designed to let you (developers) focus on creating amazing games.” Like Shockwave, Unity 3 requires that the gamer has a specific plug-in to play the games that are developed using the proprietary platform.

In their blog post, Unity divulges that for users that don’t already have the plug-in only 60% successfully install it. They go on to note that “for Shockwave we believe it is around 40%.” Obviously, in relation to Shockwave, a 60% success rate is pretty good… but that still means 40% of the people you’ve worked to get to your site, are opting out of the experience because of the download. And judging by the fact that they blogged about it, it appears that a 40% bounce rate is a good number for the industry…

Okay, I don’t want to argue, so let’s just split the difference between the Unity and Shockwave numbers noted above and say that the average successful download rate is 50%.  If you’re creating an Augmented Reality experience for people, a 50% success rate on a download is unacceptable, and terrible for your business. Would you stand outside a brick and mortar store and only let in 50% of the potential customers people who wanted to enter? Of course not…   So why aren’t we as an industry applying the same principles to our online branding?  Why do you think marketers are still forcing downloads on their consumers?  What are the “pros” that outweigh (what I see as) a very big “con”?  I’d love to hear your thoughts below (especially if you have more data on download rates)…

Data On Advanced Product Viewing Features

This morning I read three articles on InternetRetailer.com that contained some pretty interesting info, so I thought I would share. All the articles pointed to the success online retailers are having with advanced product viewing features (e.g. zooming, 360-degree spins, etc.).

This probably won’t shock many of you, but we see Augmented Reality Ecommerce Applications (like our Webcam Social Shopper) as the next step in advanced online product visualization, so third party data like what’s noted below is fantastic to see.

Article 1: Rotating images generate higher conversion for DueMaternity.com

• “360-degree spin images convert 27% higher than standard photos.”
• “Our shoppers want to see every detail and look at a particular item from every angle before making a purchase,” says DiPadova. “A rotating image provides that detail and this feature really improved the conversion rate on many of our merchandising pages.”

Article 2: Against Nudity hopes shoppers linger longer with 360-degree images

• “However, buying clothing is much more personal, which means it requires more product information, Moreau says.”
• “Investing in the technology to produce 360-degree images might cost between $15,000 and $20,000, Moreau estimates. Ongoing costs are not prohibitive, he says, adding it costs Against Nudity about $40 to create each 360-degree image and get it online.”

Article 3: Businesses say rich media helps lure shoppers

• “When web marketers were asked in a new survey what marketing techniques were most effective at luring consumers more noted multimedia product viewing.”
• “The Adobe Systems Inc. report, “Adobe Scene7 2011 Survey: Digital Marketing in the Next Decade,” found that 39% of marketers said multimedia product viewing was “very effective.” That result marked the third year in a row that a rich media-related method topped the list.”

Augmented Reality For Ecommerce, Data From Our Usability Testing

Recently, we partnered with Georgetown University to conduct usability testing on our Augmented Reality Ecommerce Software, The Webcam Social Shopper (WSS). I know data pertaining to Augmented Reality is hard to come by, and many of you are interested in it, so I wanted to share some of the results:

USER PROFILE:

• Females that shop online, age 17 – 24.

KEY FINDING:

• Nearly 2/3rds of participants said that WSS would help them in making a purchase decision.

SOME ADDITIONAL FINDINGS:

• Users were asked the question: “if an online store had this product, how interested would you be in using it?” Over 83% of users answered between “Interested” and “Very Interested”.
• Users were asked the question: “How interested do you think your friends would be in using it?” 88% of users answered between “Interested” and “Very Interested”.
• When the users first viewed WSS “the typical initial reaction was a surprised exclamation.”
• It took first time users about two minutes to understand, and become comfortable with the motion capture interface.

UI LEARNINGS:

• We also were able to learn where our product needed improvement.  Much of our learnings have already been integrated into our brand new online demo: www.webcamsocialshopper.com – we’d love to know your thoughts on it!

If you’d like more details on the usability testing, or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Planning Some Augmented Reality For The Tablet Market? You May Want To Wait…

On the surface, Augmented Reality and Tablets seem like a match made in heaven.  The press has fallen in love with the idea and given the concept an inordinate amount of coverage.  But the fact is 95% of Americans don’t own a tablet (admittedly, some might argue that I should add a “yet” at the end of that sentence).  So when it comes to AR should brands and marketers dedicate budget towards the device today?

According to this article, Nielsen Research states that 4.8% of Americans have a tablet (and the piece states that that number is even lower in the UK – 1.7%).  It’s also important to note that that number wasn’t broken down by device, so we don’t know how many of those Americans have the first generation iPad… That is, the iPad that lacks a front-facing camera (necessary for most AR). But odds are, it’s a solid chunk (if not the majority).

In my opinion, for Augmented Reality to advance we need to focus on creating applications that people will actually use today, not tomorrow.  It’s not about buzzwords, tech demos, and concept videos… It’s about using AR as a tool to create meaningful experiences for “real people”…

What do you think?  Should brands dedicate budget to tablet based AR, or should they be focusing on creating goal oriented web, kiosk, and OOH based executions with technologies that are available today (please note, I left mobile off that list for a reason)?

Or, feel free to contact me on twitter.

Microsoft’s Position On Kinect Hacks

Every since the Microsoft Kinect came out, we’ve seen some talented individuals create some pretty amazing hacks demonstrating what the system is really capable of.  Recently though, we’ve started to see “Commercial Hacks”, that is businesses hacking the system to create in store experiences for their consumers.  I just wanted to point out real quick,  (before you rush out and create your own hack) that these executions do not have Microsoft’s blessing.  From an article in the Telegraph:

A Microsoft spokesman said: “While we are aware of hobbyists and third parties taking advantage of raw data to explore the exciting possibilities of Kinect for Xbox 360 for themselves, we do note, however, that any of these uses of Kinect for Xbox 360 are not licensed or authorized by Microsoft.”

Don’t worry, rumor has it that a commercial SDK will be available later this year… but, at this point it does seem to be only a rumor…