Geelong, Australia – An intriguing future where shoppers can virtually talk to the products on the shelf is getting closer with the development of a new concept that adds a human-hologram to product packaging.
A prototype, developed by tech juggernaut, Immertia, uses augmented reality to project the ultra-realistic hologram from within the product packaging.
A video demonstrating the hologram concept shows a smartphone activating a pint-sized female hologram, by scanning the packaging.
Immertia’s Managing Director, Dave Chaffey said the response to the ground-breaking concept had been overwhelming.
“The prototype we’re showing today is fascinating. You’ll see there’s a person, a hologram, inside the packaging, waiting to provide information and advice, about the product. She can provide information in English, or in Spanish.”
“It’s been an absolute showstopper for us so far. You can see people’s responses – just pure amazement.”
Packaging Industry Playing a Key Role
Chaffey sees a bright future for the packaging and consumer goods industries and is excited about the potential of new technologies coming to the industry.
“There’s some brilliant work going on – some great technologies, that add value for consumers, and keep brands connected. In time, these concepts will change the way we shop.”
“Packaging will become even more important in the purchase decision process. There’s an important role for the packaging industry, to steer the direction of new technologies.
How it works
Consumers use their smart phone to scan and activate the packaging. The augmented reality hologram is then viewed through the camera, where she offers product information and advice.
Aside from the initial surprise, the holographic woman provides a simple, intuitive way to receive information. The trust factor will be important barrier for consumers, and the concept has been developed with that in mind.
“The vision is to bring real people into the mix,” said Chaffey,” Trusted faces, a doctor a pharmacist, or likeable celebrity could just as easily be in that place”
The Hologram is supported by a range of multimedia content, and provides information and content virtually – the concept is mind-boggling.
“It’s more than a cool concept – there’s a bigger outlook here – we’re creating an environment where all of the information about a product, – advice, instructions, guidance, all come from the product itself.”
“That way of thinking is intuitive too, when you need to know something about a product, you go straight to the source”
“We’re still a while away from hitting mainstream, but we’re demonstrating a tangible solution, with no barriers for the consumer. That’s a pretty big thing.”
The commercial applications are enormous, with user cases in food and beverage, manufacturing, health, education, and many more industries.
According to Chaffey, a video of the concept that was released on social media has resulted in contact from three pharmaceutical giants, and a large collection of interested agencies.
Immertia has announced an accelerated move to market and is calling for expressions of interest from investors for an anticipated equity capital share issue. The company has two augmented reality platforms in market presently.
32 Comments