Wayfair is opening the Next Research and Development Laboratory at company headquarters here, where it will explore ways to improve the visualization of its home products.

Among the advancements are 3D scanning techniques to digitize its catalog and offer augmented reality, virtual reality and 2D rendering.

“While Wayfair has already changed the way people shop for their homes through unprecedented selection, service and convenience, we are never done in our commitment to continually enhance the online retail experience through technological innovation,” said Steve Conine, co-chairman and co-founder of Wayfair. “Virtual reality and augmented reality will enable shoppers to bring their home décor ideas to life before they even make a purchase. We look forward to rolling out solutions we believe will make e-commerce a preferred method for purchasing home furnishings, and inspiring and educating the community about the potential of these visualization technologies in the home space.”

The Wayfair lab also hosts the Wayfair Virtual Reality Experience, a hands-on demo that allows users to transform a room by customizing the model, material, color and layout of furnishings and décor. Wayfair Next is also building its augmented reality application for Google Tango, which allows users to see how pieces of furniture and décor will look and fit in their homes through the display on a smartphone. The virtual reality experience was demonstrated at High Point Market last month and, along with the augmented reality app, will be featured at industry trade shows throughout the year, Wayfair said.

(Source: hfndigital.com  Author: Allison Zisko)