IBM Augmented Reality Will Change Shopping

Good afternoon, dear users!

How often, choosing a product on the Internet, would you like to see it “live”?
And how often, being in a store, would you like to find out more information about the products, find out how it differs from what is next to it, and read the reviews of users who bought it?

So that you no longer have to ask these questions, IBM creates a mobile shopping assistant. Is it possible to change the way we shop?


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IBM Research experts are developing a mobile application that uses augmented reality technology.

According to Jill Pouleri, IBM's vice president of retail solutions, the new application from IBM will be able to replace customers finding information on the Internet, becoming a convenient way to simultaneously see the goods in their hands and get the necessary information about them.

How it works?

I will divide the answer to this question into 2 blocks.

Part 1. Information

The buyer enters the store. After downloading the application on the smartphone and directing the camera to the product of interest, the system will start scanning the product. The identification process is similar to the principle of operation of QR codes, but (!) In this case, a barcode is not required. To determine the products, image processing technologies are used that combine face recognition algorithms, colors, object shapes, etc. using a smartphone camera. After identifying the product, the application from the IBM servers loads information about it provided by the seller.

Thanks to this technology, the user, without departing from the product and without opening a search on the Internet, will be able to:

• Get the most complete product description;
• Compare it with similar products;
• sort goods and similar products by price / rating / availability / etc .;
• View similar products for certain characteristics;
• Examine feedback from friends / other users who purchased products;
• Learn about discounts and special promotions.

Over time, the functionality will be updated.
One of the interesting features of the application is the personalization of the received information about the product: scanning the shelves with products, you will see which product causes, for example, allergic reactions, if your profile indicates that you are allergic to something.

Part 2. Search

The application collects and displays the most complete information about the goods, but the IBM mobile assistant also seeks to help in finding products on the parameters of interest.

For example, you are looking for a face cream. You do not know what kind of cream you want to buy. But you have criteria by which you search for it. Going to the store and downloading the application, you can select the desired characteristics of the desired product.

Regarding face cream, the parameters may be as follows:

• Moisturizing;
• For sensitive skin;
• With UV filters;
• Without parabens;
• Not more than 1000 rubles, etc.


After you hover the smartphone camera on the shelves of the supermarket, the application will highlight the products you need with the selected characteristics. Sometimes this feature is missing, isn't it? :)

Buyers vs. Sellers

The benefits to buyers are obvious. What benefits will sellers get?

First, with the help of the application (unfortunately, while unnamed), sellers will be able to give buyers much more information about the product displayed on the showcase than they will be able to attract much more visitors using the Internet to collect information about products.

Secondly, thanks to its novelty, solutions based on augmented reality attract a lot of attention. Companies that have implemented the application will be able to gain a significant advantage in the market.

And third, IBM will provide vendors with tools for analyzing the information gathered by customers in the process of using the application. With the help of received observations, sellers will be able to better understand what products and characteristics of goods are interesting to buyers.

Instead of conclusion

Surely, one of the most important issues is the release date. But he still remains open.

At the moment, the application is being tested by IBM business partners in several foreign trade networks. After successfully passing all the tests, the product identification system will be filled with knowledge about the variety of products provided in stores.

How soon, in your opinion, can we test the application in Russia?