Redecorating a room is a big commitment, but one of the more intriguing uses for augmented reality is letting users preview new furniture pieces in a space. Thanks to a new feature Apple introduced to developers last month, you won’t have to move a single item before dropping a new virtual couch or coffee table into your real-world space.
What’s The New Feature Called And How It Works?
The feature is a new Swift API called RoomPlan that leverages Apple’s ARKit as well as an iPhone or an iPad with a camera and LiDAR (short for Light Detection and Ranging). The scanner can easily generate detailed and accurate 3D floor plans, including features like windows, doors, and even various types of furniture that are automatically recognized and accurately measured. Then, it can edit the furniture out of your shot while keeping the room intact.
Using AR To Try Out A New Piece Of Furniture In A Room Is Not A New Idea
Using augmented reality to try out a new piece of furniture in a room before you buy it isn’t an entirely new idea. Ikea’s been doing it for years through its mobile apps, and last month the Swedish furniture maker revealed a new design tool that can generate a static image of a room with all of the existing furniture digitally erased, allowing virtual furniture to be added and moved around. It was an interesting upgrade, but one that lacked the interactivity of being able to move around the emptied virtual space and see the added furniture from different angles.
Developer Who Integrated This New Feature With Shopify
Russ Maschmeyer, who currently develops AR and VR experiences for Shopify, recently demonstrated a video on Twitter in which he integrated Apple’s RoomPlan feature with the Shopify App. The result was amazing to look at.
Lots of interest in this “reset button” for your room we built @Shopify that uses @apple’s new #RoomPlan API. Here’s how we built it… 👇 🧵1/12 pic.twitter.com/YdNP1vebVW
— Russ Maschmeyer (@StrangeNative) July 13, 2022
