VR \ AR armed with digital retail

“I created OASIS because I felt uncomfortable in the real world. Did not know how to get along with people. I was afraid all my life. I still do not understand that the end is near. Only then I realized that, along with how cruel and scary reality can be, it remains the only place where you can find true happiness. Because reality is real. Do you understand? “Yes,” I replied, “it seems I understand.” “Good,” he winked. - Then do not repeat my mistake. Do not lock here. ”
Ernest Kline.

1. Introduction.

There comes a time when the humanities, exactly like business, exist in such close symbiosis with the world of information technology that linguists begin to write code, and programmers, administrators, and engineers begin to engage in digital marketing and sales. And sooner or later, this symbiosis will absorb all the currently known technologies. I propose today to talk about how VR and AR funds have become a powerful weapon in the arsenal of digital retail.

But first, I think it will be reasonable to make sure that we understand all the concepts in one language.

2. Terms and definitions.

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The most unambiguous definition of digital retail. These are all sales and transactions made using digital commerce or by offering services and products using digital space. Probably almost everyone read this article at least once ordered goods from China or the United States, so this is digital retail.
Realities are more complicated. Over time, the concept of virtual reality (virtual reality-next VR) or artificial reality has changed. Now, VR is a world created entirely by technical means, transmitted to a person by influencing his senses: touch, smell, sight, hearing, etc. With the growth of the level of technology, reality has become not only to simulate the environment, but also reactions to the user interaction with reality.
Augmented reality (augmented realit- further AR) in turn is the result of introducing any other data into the field of perception of data, acting on certain senses to supplement information about the environment. Everyone probably likes during a long walk to turn on some sound in their headphones that matches their mood. So the music in this case complements the audio information contained in reality.
That is, with the virtualization of reality, a new space is created, and with the addition, imaginary objects are added to reality.

3. When did they start changing reality?

Any advanced technology is a little different from magic, we all remember, right? So, people began to “conjure” in the direction of VR and AR more than 100 years before the launch of the first computer. The progenitor of all virtual reality glasses were the stereoscopic glasses of Charles Winston of 1837. Two identical planar images were placed at different angles into the device, and the human brain perceived it as a three-dimensional static image.
Time passed and 120 years later, Sensorama was created - a device that allows you to see a dynamic three-dimensional image.

Further, the industry moved from its place and literally in 50 years mobile platforms, mobile glasses and helmets, controllers and special programs that were written to simulate reality appeared.
Only in the 2010s, representatives of the game industry widely talked about VR. Before that, there were games too, but not so common. The main user of this technology in the middle of the 20th century was the guys from NASA, who trained astronauts, organized exams on the knowledge of equipment of manned and unmanned modules, etc.
Unfortunately, augmented reality does not have such a speed of technology development and visual objects seem ridiculous and strongly "cartoon".

4. Digital retail and VR \ AR. Prerequisites, cases, ways of development.

Okay, back to 2019. Technology is widely paced, capturing different areas, including retail. Sometimes, it would seem, a simple business venture can lead to a big financial problem.
Consider an example, you are the owner of a furniture store, you have a warehouse outside the city, to which suppliers bring ready-made furniture. To start a business, you decide to open several points of sale. But it is expensive to bring copies of sold pieces of furniture to each point, and to rent large premises is also not exactly cheap, especially at the start. But in a small office you can suggest a person in the catalog to select samples of interest to him, and then after loading a pre-prepared scale model into AR glasses, travel with the client to his home or office and “try on” the cabinet or sofa to the real room. This is interesting and this is the future. I agree that 100% of customers will not be able to agree with such ideas, because many people want to "see with their hands."
Those. unfortunately, it is not so much a thirst for technology as a desire to save as prerequisites for business. And if we are not talking about the closet, but, for example, about a ready-made interior solution or repair, then apply wallpaper textures to the walls, arrange furniture from the catalog, select carpets and look at the curtains without leaving the house ... it's interesting, isn't it?
Looking after the dress, but there is no time for fitting? On the car need a new kit? All this can be selected using the technologies mentioned above. However, while the range of goods sold using AR is limited. Food, raw materials for production and much more to sell with a change in reality is difficult and probably impossible.
However, digital retail is not only products, but as I said earlier services. Choosing a tour of interesting places would be interesting to see these places before buying tickets, and if the buyer is a person with increased requirements (limited capabilities), then virtual reality can sometimes become the only way to see the Chinese wall or Victoria Falls. This is a sale of services, which means retail. The service is provided by means of high technology, which means digital retail.

5. Development?

Development of these technologies in the context of sales, of course. This development from the side of technology looks like MixedReality, when imaginary objects will be indistinguishable from real ones, and from the business side - the development of new sales techniques.
The future is not far off, when to visit the store you will only need to pick up a virtual reality helmet and put on tactile gloves on your hands. The room will immediately transform and you will find yourself in the middle of the counters and virtual buyers rushing back and forth.
Do you think we’ll build an Oasis? (ps This is Easter eggs)