In a cutting-edge collaboration, augmented reality (AR) firm Rock Paper Reality (RPR) has teamed up with tech giants Google and Adobe to create an immersive AR shopping experience at Paper Tree, an origami store in San Francisco’s Japantown neighborhood.
The project leverages powerful AR tools and technologies from the three companies. Google provided its Geospatial Creator for building location-based AR apps, the ARCore platform for mobile AR experiences, and ultra-realistic 3D mapping data from Google Maps. Adobe contributed its user-friendly Aero AR authoring tool as well as advanced 3D asset creation software like Substance 3D Painter.
“The potential for any brand to tell stories beyond their traditional storefront or page, elevating how their audiences discover and engage with their products in the digital realm is huge,” said Patrick Johnson, CEO and Founder of Rock Paper Reality. “With immersive spaces and headset use on the rise, it has never been more vital to have an omnichannel 3D strategy in place, particularly powerful with the younger generation where 3D worlds are the norm.”
Bringing Paper Origami To Life
For Paper Tree, RPR digitally recreated the store’s intricate origami paper sculptures as photorealistic 3D models that customers can view up close in an AR environment using just their smartphone camera.
“It gets the viewer up close, where they can see incredible detail. The 3D animation of the Peace Sphere literally brings the origami to life, enhancing its design,” said Linda Mihara, the store’s manager and part-owner, noting the AR experience presents “an unprecedented way to view origami.”
Mihara praised the seamless AR activation through QR code scanning, adding “Young, tech-savvy audiences are super familiar with using QR codes, so it’s very easy for them to click and start seeing origami in a fun, interactive way.”
PHOTO: Rock Paper Reality
Boosting Local Businesses
The innovative AR activation aims to drive foot traffic and economic activity in San Francisco’s iconic Japantown district. Grace Horikiri, Executive Director of the Japantown Community Benefit District, expressed excitement about the potential impact:
“The Adobe Aero 3D Paper Tree Experience is an innovative and exciting attraction not only for Paper Tree but Japantown as well. It’s going to put us on the map and hopefully bring more visitors to this cultural destination which will help the surrounding small businesses continue to thrive.”
Streamlining AR Production
Beyond the engaging customer experience, the Paper Tree project exemplified key benefits of utilizing AR for marketing and retail. Using digital 3D assets instead of physical installations can significantly reduce production costs and logistics. Google’s robust 3D mapping data also enabled creating accurate location-based AR content without extensive on-site scanning.
“Leveraging Adobe’s powerful tools has been a game changer,” said Preston Platt, CTO and Founder of RPR. “The Adobe toolset allows us to elevate our workflows, achieving new heights of speed and efficiency.”
Adobe’s James Zachary, XR Creative Lead, praised the “transformative location-based experience in San Francisco’s Japantown celebrating the community of retailers that have been there for generations.” He highlighted how easy access to advanced AR tools like Adobe Aero is “democratizing” immersive development for a wider pool of creators.
“It’s as simple as scanning a QR code and launching into an extraordinary experience without the fuss of downloading and installing an app. Bringing geospatial augmented reality to your fingertips like never before,” Zachary added.
Google’s Powerful Geospatial Toolkit
Google’s robust Geospatial platform underpinned the location-based AR capabilities for the Paper Tree activation. The toolkit leverages over 15 years of mapping data from Google Maps and Street View to provide a rich foundation for immersive location-based apps and services.
“Geospatial Creator allows brands and creators to easily design location-based augmented experiences,” noted Stevan Silva, Senior Product Manager for Google AR. He added it was “incredible” to see Paper Tree’s transformation, explaining how similar use cases open “new possibilities for businesses to connect with people of all ages, share their crafts and express their creativity.”
The pioneering Paper Tree AR activation underscores immersive technology’s potential to revitalize brick-and-mortar retail by seamlessly blending digital and physical worlds into engaging, awe-inspiring shopping journeys. As spatial computing leaders collaborate with established brands, augmented reality is poised to reshape how businesses engage consumers in the years ahead.
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