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Ikea Place uses AR to place virtual furniture in your living room
- Ikea has just introduced the AR-enabled Ikea Place app for Android.
- The app uses Google’s ARCore framework and lets you place virtual furnishings in your living space or any other space.
- Ikea Place first launched in September 2017 on iOS.
As much furniture as Ikea has designed and manufactured over the years, the Swedish company is no stranger to integrating technology into its business. Just look at its tables that incorporate wireless charging, or its platform-agnostic smart lighting.
Ikea even dabbled in augmented reality as early as 2012, though the company looks to significantly improve on those early days with the Ikea Place app for Android.
As the name suggests, Ikea Place lets you browse the Swedish company’s catalog of over 3,000 products and place them anywhere in a room. Place that Strandmon winged chair you have had your eyes on next to the window, or see if that futon that unfolds into a bed fits into your overpriced studio apartment.
Your imagination with Ikea Place can be as wide as the catalog is. Anything from virtual sofas and armchairs to coffee tables and storage units are available to play around with and place at scale.
If all of this sounds familiar, it is because the Place app has been available for iOS since September. Thanks to Google’s ARCore, this is the first time the app is available on Android.
However, Ikea’s use of ARCore limits device support for Ikea Place. The only phones that support Google’s AR platform so far are its own Pixel smartphones, Samsung’s flagship smartphones from 2016 and newer, LG’s V30 and V30 Plus, ASUS’ Zenfone AR, and the OnePlus 5.
Along with Android support, the app also includes a new Visual Search feature. This lets you hover over physical furniture and items to find similar or matching Ikea inventory through the app.