Examples of AR in Interior Design

As AR is a huge component of my show, I decided to look at available AR apps in the market, that is used for interior design purposes. This following research has helped me gain insight into how the AR software that I will use for my show can be improved from the examples below. It has also helped me come up with a feature for the AR software such as price contrast.  

TapMeasure: Aimed at design professionals, TapMeasure is an AR app that enables measuring and mapping of interior spaces (in readiness for CAD design) with just a few taps of a smartphone screen.

While TapMeasure uses a low level of AR sophistication, other interior design apps stretch the technology’s capabilities somewhat further.

IKEA Place: The Place app shares some characteristics with TapMeasure, in that it uses AR to actually measure and map the space in which the furniture is placed. This allows the 3D furniture to be scaled according to room dimensions, meaning that when you squeeze that virtual easy chair into that alcove and find that it fits, the same will be true of the real chair when you take delivery of it.

According to an article by Wired, IKEA claims that the Place app, developed using Apple’s ARKit SDK, renders scaled-down furniture at an accuracy of 98%. In other words, rather than being simply an app that makes you want IKEA furniture in your home, it really helps to solve practical problems of room design.

Hutch: At the most sophisticated end of the AR interior design spectrum, Hutch is effectively a complete interior design service in an app. The app allows users to take a photo of a room, try out different looks using style filters, and then submit the finished image for virtual design. The finished design—complete with white-label furniture and products that can be bought via the app—is returned to the user within an hour.

Current Technology Limitations

It is clear that augmented reality holds a lot of promise in the interior design and real estate sectors, but it would be naïve to think there’s not some way to go before it delivers to its full potential. Right now, some existing limitations might turn off users who are not consummate AR enthusiasts.

Realism: While 3D building-models have the accuracy of scale and detail to aid architects, they don’t necessarily look that realistic to the nonprofessional property browser. When using AR, potential buyers want the same bright shiny impression offered by print brochures, but in full, interactive, 3D effect. As one expert said in an interview with The New York Times, even the latest AR real estate tech is not ready to make models indistinguishable from the real thing.

Depth of Data: Homebuyers’ apps for use out in the field also have room to improve, but the issue here is more to do with data availability than the visual experience offered. Oftentimes a property is all-but-sold before it even shows up in realtors’ listings, so it’s entirely possible to point one’s phone at a beautiful looking home and be impressed by the data that’s revealed, only to be told by the agent that it’s already under contract.

With technology moving at the pace it does, however, solutions to issues like these are probably just around the corner, and certainly, AR technology has enough going for it to outweigh current technological constraints.