It’s been a while since we heard anything about the interesting Augmented Reality Lego Set kiosk that mysteriously popped up in Illinois, but a press release lets us know that it was created by MetaIO, and will now be coming to all Lego stores worldwide.
“The DIGITAL BOX helps consumers get a better impression of our products,” says Torben Nielsen, Director of 3D technology from the LEGO Group´s Digital Development Department, and adds: “we`ve had very positive feedback from our stores and customers. Thanks to metaio`s technology, we can excite and inform our customers on a new level.”
Read the full release and see a demonstration video of the technology, after the break.
LEGO Group Brings its Augmented Reality Boxes to All Its Stores Worldwide
After a very successful evaluation phase of the “DIGITAL BOX” in selected stores, the Danish toy manufacturer is working with metaio to roll out the AR boxes to all LEGO® brand stores worldwide.
MUNICH, GERMANY April 19th, 2010 – The LEGO Group is currently rolling out its augmented reality DIGITAL BOXES to all LEGO® Brand Retail Stores worldwide after a successful evaluation phase that started in November 2008. The innovative augmented reality technology inside the DIGITAL BOX was developed and constantly improved over the last months in a partnership with metaio.
Purchase decisions at the point of sale are mostly driven by the excitement of customers about a product. This certainly applies to the toy market. Ideally, customers want to hold the product in their hands and look at it closely from all angles. But for products like LEGO® sets, it can take hours of construction before you know what the toy really looks like. The LEGO DIGITAL BOX from the LEGO Group comes to the rescue. Children, big and small, can now hold LEGO® boxes up to the DIGITAL BOX and watch a 3D animation of the product – from all angles, in every detail – in their hands. This is made possible by metaio software, which fuses virtual 3D animations into a live video of the actual product packaging. The technology not only creates a fascinating technical experience, but also gives retailers a unique selling pitch while helping to inform interested buyers. After all, customers get to see exactly how much fun there is inside!
“The DIGITAL BOX helps consumers get a better impression of our products,” says Torben Nielsen, Director of 3D technology from the LEGO Group´s Digital Development Department, and adds: “we`ve had very positive feedback from our stores and customers. Thanks to metaio`s technology, we can excite and inform our customers on a new level.” The ongoing partnership between metaio – one of the industry leaders in augmented reality solutions – and one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world is a truly major milestone in the history of the company. Jan Schlink, corporate communications manager at metaio, comments: “Together with the LEGO Group, we have developed one of the most successful augmented reality systems worldwide. It`s impressive to see what AR can do for consumers and brands. There will be more to come in 2010, and we are proud to work as a pacemaker in this dynamic and innovative technology field.”
A video about the DIGITAL BOX can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUuVvY4c4-ADownload Press Release: here.
About the LEGO Group
The LEGO Group is a privately held, family-owned company, based in Billund, Denmark. It was founded in 1932 and today the group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of play materials for children, employing approximately 5,000 people globally. The LEGO Group is committed to the development of children’s creative and imaginative abilities. LEGO products can be purchased in more than 130 countries. LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks of The LEGO Group. © 2010 The LEGO Group.
About metaio GmbH:
As a pioneer in the area of Augmented Reality technology, metaio develops software products for visual interactive solutions between the real- and virtual world. Based on the software platform Unifeye, 3D-animations can be integrated seamlessly into live-video streams respectively into pictures of the real-user`s environment. Founded in February 2003, metaio currently employs 60+ people at three different locations. The head office of the company is based in Munich. The subsidiaries metaio Inc. located in San Francisco, CA and metaio Asia respectively in Seoul. Until now metaio has worked for more than 340 renowned clients out of different branches and areas. Among them are: BMW, Daimler, Siemens, Toyota, Peugeot, EADS, Bertelsmann, KUKA, LEGO, MINI, Popular Science, Focus Features and Volkswagen.
