WebAR

Introduction

WebAR stands for ‘web-based augmented reality.’ It's an augmented reality experience that shouldn't require users to download and install an app on their phones. This ensures that all you need is your mobile or tablet and an internet connection, without having to download the software directly to your device. Now, WebAR provides a small range of key features that can be used with the AR app, including basic animations, video and some degree of interactivity. This technology enables all users to open a webpage URL on their smartphone (iOS or Android) and permit their camera to access the AR experience. WebAR can also help the detection of the target image to cause experiences. What led to the spread and success of WebAR is the absolute simplicity and usability of this technology, thanks to the global reach of smartphones.

Web AR Car

Shopping for Shoes

Futuristic Glasses

Web AR Car

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A Good Use For AR

WebAR makes a good use of AR because it becomes more immediately available and does not eat people's data with a lot of downloads, in turn helping to make AR promotions as well as interactions more important, and useful. Augmented reality would be a valuable addition to a variety of current web sites. For example, it can help people learn about educational sites and encourage potential buyers to imagine items in their home while shopping. WebAR allow users to position a life-size representation of an object as if, in fact, the picture remains on the chosen surface, appears the size it would be if the actual item were on that surface, and allows the user to step around it as well as closer or further away from it. This gives viewers a better understanding of the object than is possible with a two-dimensional picture.

In addition, the WebAR can operate to a certain degree on most browsers, so you don't actually need to have a specific device requirement to support AR, again extending the scope of a certain experience. This technology is promising to remove the hassle of installing the software. With this progression, the potential scope of a brand is growing dramatically, providing customers with the convenience of clicking a picture to open a mobile camera and experiencing AR instantly. Moreover, WebAR is good for businesses that has web URLs, which can be applied to websites as an entry point for AR-meaning engaging content, such as face scanning-powered face filters, can be accessed almost instantly via social media posts, email campaigns or paid media ad promotions.

WebAR provides highly enticing low-friction immersive content experiences that can be integrated directly on your own website. These interactions have proven to engage users over longer periods of time compared to conventional web content. Another instance would be if you're trying to create a talking label for your new wine vintage or add interactivity to the product catalog next month, all of these innovations will offer immersive content directly to the user without the need to download an app. The AR landscape is evolving at an unprecedented rate, technology is only getting more impressive. AR used to be a lone experience, just a user and their computer. But the new advances in technology, brought forward by Apple's ARKit 2 and Google's ARCore, mean that people can now share their experiences. Users can see what others are seeing and communicating with, which is another major move in taking AR to the masses.

Intended Users

The target users are companies, brands, and mobile users. The WebAR experience will make it as convenient as possible for users to create an account, schedule an appointment, or even buy the item. The people using WebAR can learn better on educational websites and, at the same time, potential homebuyers can imagine the items they look at their home while shopping immediately by clicking on a mobile page from their mobile devices without the need to install something and providing content developers with the opportunity to make content more versatile and scalable. This technology enables users to access AR experience within a desktop and mobile browser and is thus capable of reaching twice as many smartphones as native AR apps. The WebAR enables consumers to encounter brands like never before, turning the physical world into a digital environment. The technology not only offers shoppers the opportunity to better imagine items, it also brings immersive content, games, events and interactions to consumers in real time. WebAR can allow content developers to exploit the flexibility of web links and QR codes to create AR experiences. With users not needing to download an app, both brands and content creators could appreciate connections when it comes to shorter-form experiences.

Positive Side

WebAR is going to be used to the full extent by businesses and brands. This technology will provide a different way for business promoters to add a fresh and very creative way of advertising. From their perspective here are the benefits or positives:

Efficient user conversions which allows conversion in a few clicks with reducing the risk of drop off
Better call to action rather than application advertisements
Engaging storytelling about the product
Ensures that the customer grabs easily and leads better
Give a fresh and creative way to reach audiences
Speed of deployment – can be created in a matter of weeks instead of months
When users connect with WebAR, it is possible to capture some useful detailed data or details such as age, gender, geolocation of users engaging with ads using existing services such as Google Analytics and others.
Keeps brands and companies interacting with their customers on an ongoing basis and helps them create more consumer base on the Internet.
No native apps required or installing or downloading
Requires minimum expenditure, without sacrificing the breadth and efficacy of the initiative.
Easy accessibility
Links or web URLs can be exchanged just like every other connection through various marketing platforms, social media posts, advertising displays, emails, texting, and so on.
Effortless integration within technologies like social media APIs for more interactive experience.

Limitations or Negatives

It's still early days for WebAR, so there's a cap. Output is simply better on the app, where there is more memory and thus better graphics, better animations and better interactivity. One of the disadvantages of WebAR is the limited web browser of the operating system, there's only so much memory a web page can have, which does have a knock-on impact on graphical and performance quality. Moreover, aweb page can only access those aspects of the application that the user is using, while a native app can access all the functionality of the device. Because of these things, an AR experience through a web browser is going to become more basic than that through an app which means that if the user wants the ease of WebAR, they need to think about quick but successful experiences instead. A larger content interaction will reach memory limits faster in the browser than they can in the app. The browsers don't give us as much power over the camera as native apps do, so it's more important to remember lighting and glossy surfaces than the native app does. Another thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the performance enhancements found in native apps are not available in the browser, so things could be a little slower than you used to.

Examples of WebAR

Purina – Brand Storytelling

Purina is a pet food manufacturer that utilized WebAR in its latest campaign showcasing what happens when your pets eat Purina food for 28 days straight. Available online or web search Purina on your smartphone, you can choose whether you want to follow the journey of a dog or a cat. Through your phone screen, you'll see a playful feline or canine going through a 28-day fast-paced period, where Purina shows you just what kind of positive improvements you should anticipate in your furry friend's health.

Jaguar – Product Testing

AR has already proven to be invaluable when it comes to testing out products consumers are interested in. Web AR takes this to the next level, where the potential customer can review the details of the product, and even try it out, in the comfort of their home. Jaguar offered a Web AR experience where you could sit in their new Land Rover model no matter where you were, and explore the interior of the car to your heart’s content.

AR Business Cards

You can feel that business cards are worldly and that they can't tell you a lot about a business, but we're asking for a difference. Aircards has created a great Web AR experience where scanning the QR code on a business card has opened up new communication possibilities, as well as a handy 3D ruler for the business. With Web AR, business cards are no longer just bits of fancy contact information paper. They can be personalized to reflect the nature of your company and your goods, or even you, as an individual and employee (or owner) of your business.

Pot Noodle – Web AR Events

Web AR doesn’t just have to be for marketing. It can also serve as a platform for events that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Take the example of this virtual career fair. This career fair couldn’t be held traditionally, so it was held virtually, wherever the students happened to aim their phone screens at. All it took was a little open space such as someone’s backyard for the students to get the impression they were surrounded by booths of their potential employers. They could watch videos in each of the booths, apply to jobs, and there was even a nice touch of a virtual DJ and fair decorations! It was barely any different than the real virtual careers fair would have been.