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Product Visualization? Augmented Reality? It Goes a Little Sumthin’ Like This LEGO Man

by Josh on January 26, 2009 · View Comments

lego-digital-box-3dYou’re running down the isle, pouring consumer goods into your buggy and in the crazed rampage you wonder exactly what that boxed ham slicer is gonna look like sitting on your counter. It’s hard to imagine, but the first word you think is HIDEOUS.

You move on to the LEGOs and there, shining in brilliant digitized glory is the LEGO Digital Box interface. You hold the box out and instantly you see the product 3-dimensionally in it’s completed state. *gasp*

You must have it.

It begins
The thing is, companies are just now delving into the possibilities of product visualization with 3D. To this day, packaging remains the focus. The packaging sells the product (to an extent), but this will become even more the case in the future with packaging and displays having just a twist of 3D added to the marketing lather.

Examples? ’3D packaging’ using flexible display technology to show scale, detail and provide appeal. Kiosk and shelves that allow you to visualize product in their setting where you will use them.

Imagine going to IKEA with a 3D scan of your house, walking through the displays with instant visual displays of the IKEA products in your home. Displayed with the added ability to modify style, adjust appearance and fit for any item, then have items packed immediately for you to take home.

lego-digital-box
We get the whole 3D CAD side of visualizing your ideas on a fancy computer screen, but visualizing products already manufactured in a certain setting isn’t so easy for those without the ability to mentally construct and project the product into open space. LEGO and others like Total Immersion are showing us what possibilities lay in store.

Where do you think this is going? Applications for 3D CAD and product design?

Via NotCot

  • Autodesk demo'ed some of this Augment Reality stuff at AU this year... This makes huge sense for a lot of things... its where google earth is going
  • can you imagine dude. standing right where you want to go. This visualization stuff is gonna be hot in the next few years.
  • This is pretty awesome. A definite help for the consumer ins seeing what they will/can purchase.
  • There were a few videos posted to YouTube last year demonstrating this technology. I think the first one I posted to one of my Ning groups was this LEGO kiosk, but the video got pulled so I replaced it with this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKF1qRcTXhM

    If you hunt around, you may find a video of this LEGO kiosk in action.
  • TI is really doing some innovative stuff and not just contained to package, although the Knex visualization is really cool looking. imagine (hope) it would be similar to the LEGO kiosk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xkg7txv1Vgc - Oh, TI's train presentation they have on their site is HOT.
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