Checking Amazon’s product reviews on your mobile is easy, but what if you can read the same reviews on your hands while walking through a store! The concept may sound strange, but recently, Amazon has received this idea as the basis of a patent in the US. The plan proposes using AR technology like, Pokémon Go via smart glasses, smartphones and contact lenses to show product reviews virtually on the hands and the arms.
The plan involves using augmented reality effects to show product information on body parts through smart glasses and smartphones.
AR-advertising is not new, but this patent shows that Amazon is trying to make changes by adapting this concept to assists customers to make a purchase at their store. Suppose, a man visits a brick and mortar store. As he checks the products, the AR glasses help to display a list of products available in the store. However, the concept can give rise to a few problems. For instance, if different brand names appear on your AR glasses, it can divert you from seeing the product which you want to buy. The other problem lies in accessing more details about a product like, the reviews. The AR glasses show a floating icon which can hinder your view. When you try to touch it, your fingers will pass through it. Hence, you fail to understand reality.
As a solution to all the issues, Amazon proposes an idea that is anchoring the effects on your limbs at all times. The glasses could show the customer reviews and names of the products on your palms and hands, without creating an obstacle to your view.
To access an item, what you need to do is press the area where you can see the option. According to the patent, the blend of the virtual and physical world gives tactile feedback, making it a more engaging experience to the people. When a user uses his or her limbs, it makes interaction with virtual elements more convenient. They can take their hands closer and further to increase and decrease the content’s size. A similar idea can be used to gather more information through hand gestures, such as the name of the product, the stars it received, the product’s price can be shown on the palm’s back. Depending on the hand’s rotation, the AR effects can provide a new view.
According to the patent, a user can configure or select the aspects of how a product might appear like, its color, font, size and more. The technology does not sound strange when you consider Amazon’s growing presence in the grocery and retail sector. A powerful AR-experience will definitely make Amazon’s stores stand out from the competition.
Last but not the least, augmented reality and smart glass are yet to prosper in the market, which may take years, if not decades. Though Amazon filed the patent in 2018, it was last week that US Patent and Trademark office accepted it.
