Lowe’s delves deeper into VR space

Photo: Lowes Project Tango app shows where a virtual refrigerator might fit in your kitchen. Image Credit: Google

Lowe’s, which upgraded its Holoroom technology that provides a 3-D view of home projects in October, is developing a new virtual reality (VR) app.



Lowe’s Innovation Labs is currently developing an app for the new Project Tango VR mobile platform being jointly created by Google and computer technology company Lenovo. Project Tango provides mobile devices with spatial capabilities.



Using a mobile device’s camera, Project Tango can perform tasks such as measuring physical spaces, detecting objects in physical space, and creating realistic 3-D models of physical environments from scratch.



Project Tango is currently available in beta tablet format, but Lenovo plans to introduce an affordably priced version for consumer smartphones later this year. Lowe’s plans to release a smartphone app based on the platform that would let consumers see how large appliances like refrigerators would look in their kitchen.



VR is here, with retailers including J.C. Penney and Canadian Tire, as well as Lowe’s actively leveraging VR-based customer engagement. Especially for a retailer of items that will impact the layout of a customer’s home, such as Lowe’s, offering a virtual preview is a valuable service that should boost satisfaction and sales.