Enter Into To Our World
Many people dream of having a luxury car at some point in their life and Mercedes-Benz happens to fall into that luxury vehicle market. People consider purchasing a Mercedes but just need to find the time to go to the dealership to look around and get an idea of which model they would like to have. Mercedes came up with a way to enhance the experience of a potential customer. Augmented reality "In short, its a way to use technology to redefine space, and it places a virtual layer over the world." (Drell, 2012)
The Mercedes-Benz Canada Augmented Reality AppsThese apps allow you to avoid waiting for a sales representative to come assist you in looking at different models and products. Instead you can do it yourself using these apps. Yes, Mercedes did not just come up with one app but 4! They have one for an A-Class model Mercedes, one for a C-Class model Mercedes, one for B-Class model Mercedes and one app just to accessorize a model.
I downloaded and used all 4 apps but out of all of them i found the C-Class AR app was the most entertaining and interesting. In order to use the app a "marker" must be printed. This marker allows the app to bring the mercedes to life right in front of your eyes.
App Name: Mercedes-Benz C-Class MercedesSport
App Link: http://www.mercedes-benz.ca/content/canada/mpc/mpc_canada_website/en/home_mpc/passengercars/home/about_us/mobile_apps.flash.html#2
Below is what the marker looks like for the C-Class AR app:
This marker can be found at: c-classtour.com
Once the marker is placed on a flat surface and the app is turned on, with the pointing of the camera a Mercedes-Benz will appear and allow you to change the colour of the exterior. While using this app i really enjoyed that it is not only about the exterior but also the interior. It allows you to change the interior colour and look at all the features inside. This app is more than just changing colours though, it also allows you to gain some knowledge about the reason Mercedes is so popular. It allows you to see the features of the car but it also explains why those features are so efficient. The most entertaining part was that you can pick up the paper and it will look as if the car is sitting in your own hand.
What i did not particularly like is that once the camera was taken off the paper by an even inch, the car would disappear. This made it difficult to turn your phone around to get all angles of the car. Another part i did not like is that it did lag a lot which made me a little aggravated at times when i tried to use it.
There is always room for improvement of course, and i feel like even though there is so much already going on in this app, there is still room for them to improve it. They can start off by adding more vehicles to the app so users can choose a car of their choice. I feel another way they can do this is by doing more with the interior aspect of the app. They let you see how the inside looks, but what about the internal features such as the functions on the steering wheel, the functions on the stereo and the heating and cooling of the car and seats. Just like they list the features of the exterior they should do the same for the interior so a potential customer can gain knowledge about the car as a whole. I feel another way they can improve the app is by adding the accessories. Allowing the user to change the rims, the review mirrors, the bumpers, etc. This could allow more use of the app and keep the user entertained and more engaged for a longer period of time.
I can definitely see a future for this app because people love the experience they receive through technology and many people love the idea of a car app. Mercedes has already created many apps that help consumers gain knowledge about Mercedes' products. Even those who are not interested in Mercedes will still find the app interesting to use just for fun. It is attention grabbing and an app that really grasps the idea of augmented reality. So yes, from here on out Mercedes can only improve their apps to become more advanced and informative for their potential clients. These apps definitely target the market of consumers they have always targeted; wealthy, business oriented people. That is why this app is a sophisticated and classical designed app that will have a strong future in the business world. "Improvements to technology means more promise for AR- 2.5 billion AR apps are to be downloaded by 2017" (Drell,2012)
I was not able to find a video for this specific app (C-Class MercedesSports) but i have posted videos of the "Mercedes-Benz A-Class Accessories App" and the "2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA App". These videos demonstrate the same concept of the app i have discussed in this post.
This was a very innovative step for Mercedes-Benz to create these augmented reality apps to bring their world alive for the us in the comfort of our own hands. They created these apps to help us engage in the experience we all want to have when it comes to a luxury car. Overall, this is an app i will keep on my phone and will excitedly share with friends and family.
References
Drell, L. (2012, December 19). 7 ways augmented reality will improve your life. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2012/12/19/augmented-reality-city/
Mercedes-Benz augmenting realities. Retrieved from http://www.mercedes-benz-accessories.com/a-class-apphttp://www.mercedes-benz-accessories.com/a-class-app
Yvkoff, L. (2012, January 4). Ar app gives 3d view of pimped-out c-class. Retrieved from http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57352441-48/mercedes-benz-ar-app-gives-3d-view-of-pimped-out-c-class/
Yvkoff, L. (2012, January 4). Ar app gives 3d view of pimped-out c-class. Retrieved from http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-57352441-48/mercedes-benz-ar-app-gives-3d-view-of-pimped-out-c-class/
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