Lowe’s attempts to disrupt how we measure things
Mooresville, N.C.-based Lowe's says it is launching two apps leveraging Apple's new ARKit capabilities – Measured by Lowe's and Envisioned by The Mine (A Lowe’s company) – to transform smartphones into measurement and design aides.
Measured, available for download at Apple's App Store today, is one of the first accessible, easy-to-use apps using augmented reality to measure an object or distance within the phone's camera view. Envisioned by The Mine will be available in early October and allows users to view high fidelity digital images of furnishings at scale, in their own home or a commercial space, leveraging ARKit's augmented reality capabilities. Both apps build upon Lowe's leadership in developing augmented, virtual and mixed reality applications for retail.
"At Lowe's, we believe in harnessing the power of technology to solve every day problems," said Gihad Jawhar, vice president, digital development at Lowe's. "Beginning with the Holoroom debut in 2014, to the launch of Lowe's Vision last November, to the introduction of In-Store Navigation in March, Lowe's has been at the forefront of exploring how mixed reality technology can enhance the customer experience. We were immediately onboard to expand this capability into Apple's ARKit to help solve some of the most common visualization barriers in home improvement: measurement and design."
Measured uses the iPhone (6S model and newer) camera to allow users to measure anything in the real world quickly and easily, and save it for later. The company says Measured is part work part fun. Users can get instant measurements and even share their "measured moments" on social media, straight from the app. From measuring the height of a chandelier for a foyer to measuring the height of your child and sending it to grandma, the app is intended to be the everyday go-to tool for all consumers.
"We learned how much we actually measure on a day-to-day basis and set out to create a beautiful tool that would help people quickly and easily measure moments, as well as projects," said Jawhar. "The app's versatility and ability to address virtually any consumer measurement need is pretty incredible."