Future retail: will spatial computing reinvent customer experience?
Mobile uses have undergone a huge transformation in recent years, driven by rapid growth in the Internet of Things (IoT) and connected devices. Not only has this changed the way consumers interact with technology, it has also opened up new possibilities for immersive digital experiences. Among these developments, spatial computing and face computing stand out, offering more intuitive interactions and smooth integration between the physical and digital realms.
Let’s explore the latest advances in these technologies, including retail applications and challenges faced by players looking to adopt them to optimize customer experience.
Spatial computing: what is it?
It is a technology used to bring virtual objects into the real world, giving the illusion that they are really there.
Devices such as augmented reality glasses and mixed reality headsets analyse the environment, identify objects present and place digital items in a smart, context-relevant manner.
This approach makes interaction with technology more natural and immersive than through a smartphone or tablet screen.
What are the leading products in spatial computing?
Apple Vision Pro
Notable examples include Apple Vision Pro, which sets itself apart by combining augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in a seamless experience. Announced by Apple in 2023, this mixed reality headset features sensors and cameras that track the user’s movements and capture their physical environment. It is controlled using gestures, eye movements and voice commands. Application development for Apple Vision Pro is based on SwiftUI, the framework used for iOS and macOS interfaces.
This headset is aimed at becoming a key tool for productivity and creativity, which merges the physical and digital realms. Apple Vision Pro has the capacity to replace a Mac in a professional setting, offering an unlimited virtual workspace where windows can be moved and organized in three dimensions. No physical controller is required for the headset, which can be operated with the eyes, hands and voice alone.
Source : Apple
Orion glasses by Meta
Meta’s Orion glasses are following this trend by providing a light, unobtrusive interface to access information in real time. Announced by Meta in 2024, these AR glasses weigh no more than 100 grams and are equipped with micro-LED projectors that overlay images on the real world. The user’s movements are captured by wristbands that pick up signals from arm muscles. While it remains an unreleased prototype, this model gives a glimpse of Meta’s vision for the future of augmented reality.
Source : Orion
Source : Usine Nouvelle
Other spatial computing devices
Other players like Snap, with its new Spectacles, and Looktech, with devices designed for remote collaboration, are developing innovative solutions to draw on spatial computing’s full potential. Finally, concepts like the Spacetop are pushing back the boundaries of traditional interfaces. With a spatial computer, the screen becomes a projection in the user’s environment, opening up radically new ways of working and consuming content.
Is spatial computing destined to become accessible to all?
New mixed reality headsets are getting smaller and increasingly portable, which means that a wider audience can access the technology. In parallel, development of dedicated apps for these devices is becoming increasingly intuitive and rapid, facilitating their widespread adoption.
These changes herald the arrival of new uses, particularly through integration of mixed reality, which makes it possible to display additional information without disturbing tasks in progress. Just imagine watching a tutorial while doing DIY, consulting a recipe while cooking, or following a route while driving, without ever taking your eyes off reality.
Mixed reality headsets also promise to extend our physical abilities. Rather than being limited to one screen, it will be possible to display an unlimited number, transforming our interaction with data and environments. For instance, instead of creating a physical model, we will interact with an infinitely zoomable 3D version. These technologies will also open up new possibilities to explore objects, tools or places that were previously inaccessible due to factors like risk, rarity and cost. Finally, these devices will enable users to switch from partial reality to total immersion in their chosen spaces, be they natural, creative or contemplative. They will transform our work, learning and creative processes.
How is spatial computing redefining customer experience in retail?
While various spatial computing applications are emerging in many sectors, retail is one of the most promising. Spatial computing devices offer new ways to interact with products in stores and online, bringing on board AR elements to enrich customer experience.
Augmented customer experience
Using devices like Apple Vision Pro, customers can view 3D representations of furniture in their living room before placing an order. This functionality aids decision-making, reduces return rates and thereby improves customer satisfaction.
In-store product viewing
Meta’s Orion glasses and Snap’s Spectacles, for example, are able to display contextual information about products on shelves. When viewing an item with these glasses, the customer immediately accesses information like technical specs, customer reviews and usage recommendations.
Internal process optimization
In warehouses or for stock management, solutions such as Looktech give teams a more efficient view of inventory-related data, while enabling remote collaboration. These tools can help to optimize logistics flows and better meet consumer demand.
Store layout
Apple Vision Pro offers dedicated apps for designing store layouts using AR, making it possible to try out various ideas and rapidly get an overview of the end result. This approach saves time and reduces costs involved in physically changing layouts.
Source : Spatial Delivery ai
How can retail companies get ready to exploit spatial computing?
For retail players looking to fully tap into spatial computing’s potential, preparation is crucial to keep up with the technology, maintain competitiveness, establish a front-running position and strengthen brand image. Here are a few strategic tips to bring these technologies on board.
Invest in training
Mastering spatial computing requires new skills, particularly in terms of immersive interface design and spatial data management. To effectively integrate these technologies, you must train your teams to use them.
Link up with the right partners
Collaborating with startups specialized in spatial computing or partnering up with technology giants like Apple and Meta will help accelerate innovation and development of new experiences. For example, by adopting Visor, which offers a 4K display of connected computer screens, you could transform the way teams in the field view and interact with data in real time.
Test and iterate
Experimenting is essential to adapt spatial computing technologies to each sector’s specific needs. For instance, by deploying pilots – such as the use of Spacetop, a spatial computer that projects a virtual screen in the user’s environment to create an immersive workspace –, companies can rapidly assess how much added value these technologies bring to workstations or augmented customer experiences, and adjust their strategies accordingly.
Consider ethics and privacy
Integrating connected and immersive devices raises major issues in terms of privacy and data protection. This means it is vital to establish clear policies that guarantee respect for users’ privacy. Take Apple Vision Pro for example, which constantly films what the user is looking at by tracking eye movements. This functionality has the potential for abuse, like camera hacking to identify locations, misuse of eye movement tracking to show targeted ads, or analysis and sharing of objects viewed by the user, as well as the time they spend on each one.
It will also be important to ensure that image taking and video recording are only done with the explicit consent of those concerned, particularly in the first few years of use, when the majority of users will not yet be familiar with the technologies.
A new legal and technological framework should be put in place to protect users through certifications that guarantee respect for privacy, covering both the devices themselves and their applications.
Spatial computing is far more than simply a tech trend: it is reshaping the way we interact with the digital realm and reality. Devices like Apple Vision Pro, Meta’s Orion glasses, and Spacetop represent the future of this convergence between physical and digital. For retail players, there is a huge opportunity to reinvent customer experiences, provided they prepare to meet the challenges that spatial computing brings with it. By investing in these technologies today, companies can ensure a leading place in tomorrow’s world, where reality will be both tangible and digital.
Romain Braque, Practice Leader Mobile & Mobile Project Manager
Timothée Devaux, Director of Digital Experience Platforms
Thomas Gayet, Innovation Consultant
Bertrand Guilbaud, Practice Leader Mobile
Floris Mettey, Mobile Design & Development Engineer
