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IKEA and HTC innovate kitchen designing with a new VR app

IKEA announced the launch of the IKEA VR Experience, an app that introduces users into a virtual IKEA real-world-sized kitchen, so they can plan the design of their new kitchen via HTC Vive head-mounted headset. This project is the prove that Virtual Reality (VR) technology can be used for so much more than just games: home remodeling, for example.

According to Tim Prevade, range manager for IKEA Australia, VR has the possibility of changing in a positive way how people, likely to embrace the innovations of technology, interact with IKEA products in the home.

IKEA announced the launch of the IKEA VR Experience, an app that introduces users into a virtual IKEA real-world-sized kitchen. Photo credit: Brad Lynch

This new app, released on game distribution platform Steam, is a pilot test for the HTC Vive to help costumers try many kitchen solutions before making the decision to buy, which will change the retail experience in home furnishings in the near future. For now, users aren’t able to upload their own kitchen but they can select one design among three highly customizable IKEA kitchen set-ups.

IKEA’s app comes with several useful 3D planning tools in order to help costumers try different combinations, like changing the colors, to design kitchens, wardrobes, storage areas and even choose to view the kitchen from a child height perspective.

“We see that virtual reality will play a major role in the future of our customers. For instance, someday, it could be used to enable customers to try out a variety of home furnishing solutions before buying them,” said Jesper Brodin,  managing director at IKEA of Sweden.

IKEA needs the feedback of users to improve their virtual reality app

Ikea explains that right now the app is very basic and offer limited functionality, still they believed the app will help users to redecorate their homes trough future versions of the app.

All the 3D tools the Swedish company included in the app represent their first giant step into VR, but they still have a long way to come. Hearing the costumer’s feedback on the experience is important to IKEA because that way they can continue exploring this subject, said Prevade.

The pilot program of IKEA will be supported only through August, and they expect users to expend about 5 minutes in the app.

Source: Value Walk  

Categories: Technology
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