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This Unique AR Fashion Show Features ‘No Clothes’

From vrscout

The one-of-a-kind show served as a showcase for Doddz’s new AR fashion line Defy.

If you’re a fan of augmented reality (AR) technology, then odds are at some point you’ve stumbled across the work of Doddz, a popular AR creator who’s worked with everyone from Disney and Facebook to Doja Cat and Drake on a variety of incredible AR experiences.

The multitalented developer has also partnered with big names like Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Joshua on unique interactive fashion pieces.

Credit: Defy

Yesterday, Doddz took their fashion ambitions even further with a one-of-a-kind runway show at London’s Kacheete. Created in partnership with Snapchat, the show served as a showcase for Doddz’s new AR fashion line, Defy. Instead of physical clothes, however, guests used the Snapchat app to project digital clothing over the models in real-time.

“It’s a fashion show with no clothes,” said Doddz during a recent interview. “The audience holds their phone up to the models and applies the clothes digitally in real-time, which creates a more immersive experience for the audience. These digital garments produce 97% fewer emissions to produce and the sale of just one Defy product provides 20 meals for a food bank in the UK.”

Credit: Defy

“The initial idea was an educational experience for the public on how AR can work for other brands, but as the show picked up speed and outside interest, it evolved into the launch of a digital fashion brand of its own,” added Doddz. “Now more than ever there’s the need for actual solutions to some of the fashion industry’s issues rather than pointing out the same problems, and I believe digital fashion can help.” 

With the arrival of AR headsets just a few years away, immersive technology is poised to be the next big thing in fashion. We’ve already seen major companies begin to explore how AR can be used to enhance existing clothing or create entirely new ensembles.

Credit: RTFKT Studios

For example, digital fashion house RTFKT recently launched a collection of Nike NFT hoodies. Each NFT comes with a physical hoodie featuring a unique QR code that, when scanned, reveals a pair of digital wings. Prior to that, the studio released its RTFKT x Nike Dunks Genesis CryptoKicks, a pair of physical sneakers with their own NFT counterparts.

For more information on Doddz’s digital fashion brand and various other AR projects visit here. You can check out some videos from yesterday’s event as well via Doddz’s Instagram.

Feature Image Credit: Defy

VTuber App Lets You Create An Avatar With Your Smartphone

From vrscout

Those in Europe can download the app for free via the Apple Store and Google Play.

CUSTOMCAST is an all-in-one mobile app that allows you to create your very own virtual entertainer, aka ‘VTuber’, using a smartphone or tablet. You can control your avatar using facial tracking and even broadcast live to audiences around the world with ease.

Developed by Dwango and S-court, the app allows you to customize premade 3D avatars using a variety of accessories, face types, hairstyles, skin colors, and clothing. You can then use your smart device’s camera to control your digital persona with facial tracking, lip sync, and various poses/expressions.

There’s also the option to customize your virtual background. If you have an iPhone with a True Depth camera you can even project your avatar over the real world via augmented reality (AR). Once you’ve finished customizing your digital persona you can connect to the Niconico Live app and begin broadcasting.

CUSTOMCAST is now available free in Europe via the Apple Store and Google Play in the following languages: English, Japanese, and Chinese (Traditional/Simplified). You can also purchase additional customizations via the in-app store or subscribe to the CUSTOMCAST official channel for exclusive perks.

In celebration of its European launch, the company has partnered with the popular visual novel series Nekopara to offer new avatar clothing based on fan-favorite characters.

We’ve talked about different types of VTuber software in the past. That said, CUSTOMCAST is one of the first to offer users an all-in-one experience that includes everything from character customization to broadcasting.

Image Credit: CUSTOM CAST Inc.

This VR Gallery Is Comprised Entirely Of Stolen Art

From vrscout

Get up-close and personal with missing works of art from Rembrandt & Van Gogh.

In October 1969, an altarpiece by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio mysteriously vanished from the Oratory of San Lorenzoin Palermo, Sicily. In 1990, two men posing as police officers stole 13 works of art were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, including several paintings and sketches by Rembrandt. 10 years later, the Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, England was infiltrated by a lone thief who made off with Cezanne’s View of Auvers-sur-Oise.

These types of high-profile art heists have become commonplace within the art world. So much so that one company has decided to fight back against thieves using the power of modern VR technology.



First reported by FastCompany, The Stolen Art Gallery is a one-of-a-kind VR app from Brazilian tech firm Compass UOL that immersed you in a virtual art gallery comprised entirely of stolen art from world-renown artists such as Caravaggio, Cezanne, Manet, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. The educational VR experience allows you to get closer than ever before to 5 stolen paintings from the aforementioned Masters.

Using a custom avatar, you can interact with each piece using a variety of useful tools. There’s a magnifying glass you can use to more closely inspect the art as well as a virtual tour guide there to provide additional details about each painting. Those in VR also appear to have access to several additional options, such as markers; presumably to add your own additions to each piece.

“Initially when we thought about the environment of the museum, we thought about building something similar to a typical museum: fancy building with a lot of content around the art pieces,” said Compass CEO and cofounder Alexis Rockenbach. “We ended up choosing a completely different approach, a minimalist approach, where you in this dark space where the only thing you really are paying attention to is the art piece.”

“Exploring things that help you to interact with other people on that specific element that are not able to be done in the physical world are perhaps the most interesting thing that we will see coming,” he added.

The Stolen Art Museum is available now in VR on the Meta Quest though you will need to signup for access. Don’t worry, it’s 100% free. The experience is also available in standard 2D via compatible iOS and Android devices. The app currently supports two languages: English and Português.

Fore more information visit compass.uol.

Image Credit: Compass UOL

You Can Now Delete Your Furniture Using IKEA’s AR App

From vrscout

Create an interactive 3D replica of your personal space using the IKEA Kreativ Scene Scanner.

It was back in 2019 that IKEA first introduced the ability to preview furniture in AR using its IKEA Place app. Gone are the days of having to visit a store in-person to shop. Using a smartphone device, you can actually layer photo-realistic 3D models of existing IKEA products over the real world.

IKEA Kreativ is a new digital design tool from the Swedish home furnishings retailer that utilizes a combination of spatial computing, machine learning, and mixed reality technologies to deliver a unique mixed reality shopping experience. Not only can you position new IKEA furnishings and cycle through various alternatives, you can now delete your own furniture from the real world.

Built directly into the IKEA app, the IKEA Kreativ Scene Scanner allows you to create interactive 3D replicas of your personal space using a remote sensing method called LiDAR. After scanning the room using a compatible iOS device, you can then delete your current furniture and replace it with new IKEA furnishings, including couches, tables, and beds, each of which features accurate dimensions.

If you don’t have access to a compatible iOS device you can instead upload a series of photos to the IKEA website at which point they’re automatically assembled into an interactive 2D replica. Once processed, you’re then free to delete and replace furniture at your leisure.

In addition to the Kreativ Scene Scanner, IKEA also introduced 50 new 3D showrooms featuring IKEA products and design ideas you can sample in realistic spatial settings. Of course, each of the products featured can be purchased directly through the app for maximum convenience.

“Ingka Group is passionate about helping people create a better life at home, and we continuously look to add value to our customers’ experience, both on and offline,” said Parag Parekh, co-acting Chief Digital Officer at Ingka Group, one of several companies responsible for the scanners core technology.

“Through the innovative, intuitive technology of Geomagical Labs and simple digital experience, we believe IKEA Kreativ will break down barriers to shopping for home furnishing, empowering people to go from inspiration to reality and design their perfect home.”

The IKEA Kreativ Scene Scanner can be accessed by downloading the official IKEA iOS app or by visiting IKEA.com. According to IKEA, the experience will be available for Android users sometime in the near future. For more information visit here.

Image Credit: IKEA

Snap & Vogue Launch AR Fashion Exhibit

From vrscout

You can also “try on” clothing in AR using the Snapchat app, anytime, anywhere.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Snapchat and British Vogue are coming together to launch Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body, an incredible AR exhibition curated by Editor in Chief, British Vogue and European Editorial Director, Vogue, Edward Enninful OBE (Order of the British Empire).

The AR exhibit features high-end fashion designs brought to life using custom Snapchat filters. Textiles transform into innovative digital AR experiences that tell stories about heritage and diversity or echo a global movement.

The groundbreaking event will be hosted in Cannes, France at the Centre d’art La Malmaison. Snap and Vogue will showcase clothing designs from seven of the world’s leading fashion brands and designers; Balenciaga, Dior, Gucci, Kenneth Ize, Richard Quinn, Stella McCartney, and Versace. 

Anyone attending this event will be able to walk through an incredible custom design room and unlock the creative vision of these fashion leaders in inclusive design using powerful AR Snapchat try-on experiences. 

Each designer will work in one of six custom environments that will complement their physical fashion and using custom Snap Lenses, the designers will be able to bring their works to life in a way that is inclusive and accessible for everyone.

Here’s what you can expect from each designer (as provided by Snap):

Balenciaga: 

  • The French maison’s exhibition room is swathed in opaque darkness. Dense black curtains line the space, which houses two spotlit looks from Balenciaga’s 50th Couture Collection, and nods to the design of a historic dressing salon.
  • The pieces are part of Balenciaga’s first Couture collection since 1968, the year the maison’s founder retired.
  • Attendees can scan the room’s Snapcode to instigate different perspectives of the monochromatic environment.
  • There will also be a custom Balenciaga AR experience, with try-on Lenses available to wear the shocking-pink opera coat showcased in the exhibition. 

Dior: 

  • In the courtyard of the Centre d’Art La Malmaison, a three-metre-high statue of a model wearing the revolutionary Dior New Look of 1947 welcomes guests to Redefining the Body.
  • Standing on a five-pointed star – a symbol of divine providence that inspired the superstitious founding couturier to open his house in 1946 – she holds the iconic Lady Dior bag, an emblem of elegance for nearly three decades.
  • The Snapchat Snapcode reveals Dior petites mains skillfully hand-sewing details on this statue as she steps off her star-edged plinth, unifying time-honed craftsmanship with digital technology. 

Gucci: 

  • In its exhibition room, the Florentine house replicates the white grid and illusionistic funhouse mirror set design of the Exquisite Gucci runway show. 
  • On podiums, mannequins display looks from this masculinity-exploring collection, which imagined the suit as a sartorial prompt. 
  • Using the Snapchat Lens, Snapchatters can use their phone screen to warp its dimensions, unearthing colorful portals in a palette that reflects the atmosphere of the Exquisite Gucci show
  • Snapchatters will be able to wear Gucci’s tailoring, faux-fur coat, aviator-style sunglasses and beret, revealed in moving tessellated grids.

Kenneth Ize: 

  • Kenneth Ize – whose 2013-founded brand champions West African craft – has collaborated with Nigerian multimedia artist Jelili Atiku on an exhibition space featuring vivid reproductions of his paintings and public performance pieces. 
  • Within this exhibition room, colorful wall hangings and upholstery are created using Aso oke – a handwoven Nigerian fabric pivotal to Ize’s designs. 
  • Mannequins display vivid one-off gowns, which reflect Ize’s commitment to craft. 
  • Through the Snapchat AR experience, viewers can experience Ize’s West African story, brought to life through sound, and wear his tactile creations, which will ripple and unfurl before their eyes.

Richard Quinn: 

  • A geometric grid of florals and polka dots, the exhibition room of British designer and this year’s BFC / Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner Richard Quinn is swathed in the prints idiosyncratic of his 2016-founded brand.
  • Lenses will reveal a magical garden, where blue roses magnify through a mist, growing before your eyes and giving Snapchatters the opportunity to watch as Quinn’s opera coat and wide-brimmed balaclava appear on their bodies in an interactive swirl of sparkle. 

Stella McCartney: 

  • The 2001-founded British house’s exhibition room is transformed into a grotto of giant colorful mushrooms, where mannequins display cascading ruffled dresses from the brand’s spring/summer 2010 collection.
  • The space is rooted in Stella McCartney’s spring/summer 2022 collection and campaign theme, Fungi Are The Future Of Fashion And Our Planet, with the designer having been inspired by these incredible organisms’ potential for offering more sustainable solutions from medicine to material innovation.
  • The Big Mushroom will transform to showcase digital bees pollinating mushroom spores using Scan technology, and the try-on AR feature will unveil a headdress garlanded with mushrooms alongside a gown growing from fantastic fungi.

Versace: 

  • Gilded tiles, Baroque columns, and Versace’s Medusa capture the Italian brand’s feeling of modern opulence within its exhibition room.
  • On display are bondage-inspired pieces from the brand’s now-legendary autumn/winter 1992 collection, ‘Miss S&M’.
  • Snapchat brings the experience to life, letting Snapchatters wear buckled looks that morph into writhing snakes as the mythological Medusa is brought to life, and transforms into the viewer themself.

Along with physical fashion being used to unlock phenomenal AR experiences, the exhibition’s facade will also be digitally “wrapped” by designers using Snap’s impressive Landmarker technology, transforming the building’s exterior.

“It has always been important to me to make fashion accessible for all. Using augmented reality, Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body is an exhibition that invites everyone – regardless of race, gender, sexuality and size – to experience and enjoy fashion from some of the world’s very best designers and luxury brands,” said Enninful in an official press release, adding “It doesn’t get better than that.” 

During an SXSW 2022 panel called Future Fashion: Physical Form’s Challenge, panelist Samuel Alexander, CEO of C2C Fashion and Technology LLC, talked about how the clothing we wore was more than just a fashion statement; it reflects who we are as people.

He envisioned the day he’d be able to tell that story in a more rich and meaningful way and saw AR technology from companies like Snap Inc. as the key to unlocking that layer.

“We are thrilled to partner with Vogue to empower hundreds of millions of Snapchatters around the world to digitally experience fashion from top designers and brands,” said Evan Siegel, Co-Founder and CEO of Snap inc. “Through this exhibition, and augmented reality more broadly, we hope to introduce new levels of accessibility, creativity, and expression to the fashion and design world.” 

Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body will also see Vogue and Snapchat partnering with DressX to create a capsule collection for the exhibition. This collection will include limited-edition Vogue x Snapchat merch and will be available on the DressX site and at the exhibition for guests to “try on” in AR.

Each of the AR fashion experiences was developed in collaboration with Arcadia, Atomic Digital Design, and Snap’s newly established Paris AR Studio which is focused on empowering and educating the next generation of creators in an effort to inspire the world about the possibilities of augmented reality across art, education, and culture. You can also try on some of the outfits at home by visiting Snapchat’s Lens carousel or in the Dress Up tab in Lens Explorer.

Vogue x Snapchat: Redefining the Body launches today. For more information, click here. 

Image Credit: Snap Inc.

Google Wants To Deliver World-Scale AR Using Google Maps

From vrscout

Google Maps is getting a major upgrade.

During Google’s 2-hour long 2022 I/O event last week, the company made a number of exciting announcements, including the reveal of a new mid-tier phone as well as a pair of AR glasses capable of translating multiple languages in real-time. 

Google also revealed world-scale AR experiences for Google Maps that will greatly improve the Street View experience on your mobile device, changing the way you view the world while wearing a pair of Google’s AR glasses when they become available.



Through digital transformation using Google’s AR Geospatial API, Cloud Anchors, and Visual Position System (VPI), Google envisions an experience in which AR is used to help you navigate any city, town, or rural countryside across 87 countries. The technology could also be used to offer a unique and personalized immersive experience using location-based AR effects. Imagine an AR landmark that could not only change the way you see the outside world but also create amazing 3D AR effects that can be viewed inside buildings and public venues. 

What you get is an experience that uses terrain anchors, 3D building geometry, and geometric anchors that can be used to bring a landmark to life or give you directions to the closest pizza shop. A more detailed map experience that allows you to gain a closer look at building details, learn about cool underground music venues, and discover locations off the beaten path for you to chill and have a cup of coffee. 

You could also use world-scale mapping and AR to help you see different times of the day so you can pick a sunny spot for that important morning coffee.

All of this is possible through blending photorealistic 3D worlds (visualization), abstract 3D worlds (analysis), and machine-readable 3D worlds (location) together to create maps that can be used by humans, autonomous vehicles, and machines for all types of interactions, including information, directions, and entertainment. You can even use the technology as a way to leave an AR flier that can be accessed by your friends to find a secret party.

One way Google highlighted this world-scale digital transformation during I/O 2022 was through ridesharing and micromobility, where drivers and riders would have accurate information on pick-up location, helping drivers find empty parking spots in real-time in any location in any large city around the world.

Of course, this could also have a massive impact on our day-to-day lives as more cities and towns look towards digital twinning for improved energy and water infrastructure, traffic flow, and land development. It can and even impact how first-responders navigate situations and provide assistance during a large emergency situation. You can read more about Google’s world-scale AR goals on their developer’s blog.

Image Credit: Google

Snapchat Is Bringing AR To Live Nation Concerts

From vrscout

The first Live Nation concert to use Snap AR Lenses will be the Electric Daisy Carnival later this month.

Snap and Live Nation Entertainment are teaming up for a multiyear deal that will bring Snapchat AR (augmented reality) experiences to select Live Nation concerts that you can use to find your friends in the crowd, bring the stage and festival grounds to life with AR content, and of course share content on social media. 

The first Live Nation concerts to debut Snapchat’s interactive AR lenses will be on May 20-22 during the Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. EDC is the largest electronic dance music (EDM) festival in North America, and this year’s Las Vegas lineup will feature popular EDM artists such as Ac Slater B2B Chris Lorenzo, Deorro, DJ Snake, Kream, Lp Giobbi, Nostalgix B2B Wenzday, and many more. 



The Electric Daisy Carnival will feature eight different stages that the artists perform on. The rest of the festival grounds are designed to immerse you into these fantastical worlds. This year organizers are bringing a ninth stage to the festival called Bionic Jungle. 

Both Snap and Live Nation envision AR becoming a normal part of any concert experience in the same way we see large video screens being used during shows, and with live music fans already bringing their smartphones with them to take photos and videos—or to use as a light to sway over our heads—why not leverage their own perspective as part of the concert experience and use AR to make the experience even more memorable?

Snapchat currently has an average of 600 million daily users, so there’s a pretty good chance that many of those EDM fans in attendance at the Electric Daisy Carnival will have a Snapchat account. 

Ben Schwerin, Snap’s senior VP of content and partnerships is counting on that. During a recent Snap Partner Summit, Schwerin said, “We can leverage this huge user base we have in a way that will make augmented reality the next phase of visual expression for artists.”

Music fans will not only be able to use AR to bring their surroundings to life, but Snap and Live Nation also plan on letting you try on concert merch using AR to see how you look in a t-shirt, hat, or sunglasses. 

This idea isn’t to keep people on their phones during the entire concert. Schwerin explains how they plan on having AR Lenses being used to strategically enhance moments of the performance. “Each video that gets shared is a really powerful promotion for people who see that to go buy tickets to a concert or festival themselves.” With Snapchat reaching 90% of people between the ages of 13 and 24 in the U.S, these AR-enabled concerts could be an excellent way to attract younger audiences.

To create their concert AR Lenses, Snap will turn to their own creative studio Arcadia to produce content for the Electric Daisy Carnival along with working with artists at future Live Nation events. This includes popular festivals such as Austin City Limits, Beyond Wonderland, Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Day Trip Festiva, Leeds Festival, Lollapalooza Chicago, Lollapalooza Paris, Reading Festival, Rolling Loud, Roots Picnic, Governors Ball, Wireless Festival, and Lights On.

The idea of using AR and VR technology as part of a live concert experience is growing more popular among promoters and artists. Artists such as the Foo Fighters, 2 Chainz, Megan Thee Stallion, and Billie Eilish have either performed live in VR or launched a VR experience, and just recently Coachella launched Coachellaverse, a digital experience that allows fans from all around the world to interact with the festival in a way that uses a combination of immersive technologies.

Image Credit: Coachella

We Tried Snapchat’s AR Glasses And Had Our Minds Blown

From vrscout

Snap Inc’s AR Spectacles glasses are nothing short of black magic.

First announced back in 2016, Snap Inc.’s offbeat smart glasses have seen several different iterations over the past five and a half years, each one improving upon the last with new features designed to merge the company’s social media platform with the real world. The latest Spectacles design was the first to include built-in AR (augmented reality) functionality, allowing the wearer to interact with existing Snapchat AR Lenses straight from the glasses in real-time.

The glasses aren’t available for purchase at the moment. Snap has opted instead to distribute hardware to a select group of creators familiar with Lens Studio, the company’s Lens-building software. Unlike the headset, Lens Studio is available to the public and 100% free of charge. While the company is best known for its social media app, Lens Studio has quietly become one of the largest areas of focus for the company. The AR Spectacles feel almost like a conduit, harnessing the power of the platform to deliver some of the most impressive AR experiences I’ve tried to date.

Not too long ago I was invited by Snap to try the Spectacles out for myself in Beverly Hills. Upon arriving, the team gave me a brief rundown of the many different projects built using the Lens Studio platform. This included Michael Nicoll, founder of BLNK and one of the first Lens Studio creators to experiment with the recently released Custom Landmark feature which allows multiple users to scan and interact with famous real-world locations around the world. Nicoll has created numerous music-based filters on the Snapchat platform for a number of high-profile clients, including Megan Thee Stallion.

After the quick introduction, I was presented with a pair of AR Spectacles straight from the box. At first glance, you could easily mistake the Spectacles for a pair of fashion-forward sunglasses. Unlike existing AR headsets such as the Magic Leap 2 or Microsoft HoloLens, the Spectacles feature a discrete, light-weight design more akin to glasses than a headset.

The device features foldable arms that allow for easy storage in the accompanying charging case. Two dual waveguide displays provide impressive AR visuals in real-time. The headset also features two front-facing cameras for capturing video and images, stereo speakers, touch controls that allow you to cycle through Lenses as well as scan the environment for Lens suggestions, WiFi connectivity with a paired smartphone app, and a USB-C port for charging.

Trying the device out for myself, I was blown away by the quality of the AR visuals. Each display offers 2,000 nits of brightness, resulting in ultra-clear 3D images that blend seamlessly with the real-world environment, which means no more of those annoying semi-translucent graphics. The only thing more impressive than the graphics was the tracking. In order to get the full experience, the team carved out an area outside for me to stretch my legs.

One Lens had me running for my life as a cartoon zombie chased me throughout the backyard. Despite my rapid head movements, the AR character moved consistently throughout the real world, even when I almost slipped and fell head-first into the pool. Another Lens had me interacting with an AR art project using the device’s built-in hand-tracking capabilities. While I found the experience a bit wonky at times, it was still an impressive use of the technology, one I hope to see expanded upon in future iterations.

Unfortunately, hand-tracking isn’t the only limitation I found with the device. Speaking with the team, I learned that the AR Spectacles have an average battery life of about 30 minutes. Needless to say, this is an incredibly short amount of time, even for an immersive technology device. That said, the accompanying case does allow for quick and easy wireless charging. I also found the overall field of view to be relatively underwhelming. The AR visuals only cover about half of the display, which can easily take you out of the experience.

That said, many of these issues are common among current AR headsets and glasses. As the technology continues to improve so too can you expect the overall quality and convenience. The amount of tech Snap has been able to jam into this sleek-looking device is nothing short of amazing. Moving forward, we’ll be keeping an extremely close eye on the company as it continues to advance upon its already stellar Lens Studio and Spectacles technology.

As previously mentioned, Snap this month made its Custom Landmarkers technology available to all creators via Lens Studio, allowing you to create immersive AR experiences tied directly to real-world locations. Previous creators used the technology to anchor their AR creations to famous structures like the Gateway of India and the Great Sphinx of Giza in Egypt. Now anyone can begin creating AR Lenses for their local areas. Creators can even use the Spectacles to demo new Lenses in real-time.

Image Credit: Snap Inc.

This Hilarious AR App Teaches Kids Financial Responsibility

From vrscout

Teaching kids about finances at an early age is a lesson they can take into their adult life.

Adventures with Zeee Bucks is a mobile AR experience that is designed to help youngsters sharpen their financial skills by earning and saving Zeee bucks, and even help them save real money.

Created by Buck in partnership with Ally Bank, Adventures with Zeee Bucks follows the character Emma, a hardworking young lady who is looking to save her money but also wants to be able to reward herself when she comes across something she likes. Together the two of you explore the ins and outs of financial literacy.

But Emma isn’t the only character kids meet throughout the experience. Players will meet up with some of her friends, some of whom will encourage Emma and the players to spend outside of their budgets.

I think it’s safe to say we all have a friend like that.

The app uses AR to create an interactive world where kids can tap on the screen to bring Emma to life where she talks about important financial lessons they can use to save their hard-earned money. Each lesson is rich in storytelling and lets kids explore different scenarios in a way that’s fun. After all, learning and discovery should be fun!

Think of the experience as an interactive storybook that gamifies financial responsibility through AR animation to provide kids with an entertaining and educational experience! No more boring adult lectures about money!

For kids, their first interaction with money is normally around spending, which is easy for them to understand. Therefore it’s important that parents have the right tools to help them learn the other side of spending. 

Saving teaches kids the importance of discipline and delayed gratification as well as goal-setting and planning. All of these things become incredibly valuable as they grow up and it also helps children to be more independent. 

Having something like a piggy bank is an incredible visual tool to achieving all of those goals. 

What is also cool is when you download the app, Ally Bank will send your kids a kit that includes its own little piggy bank, play money, and other information about earning and saving that helps them follow along with Emma. Of course, your kids can use real money if they want!

Adventures with Zeee Bucks is a wonderful tool that you can use to help your kids develop financial skills that they can carry into their adult life. You can download the app today for free on the iOS and Android stores.

Credit: Ally Financial Inc.

Samsung Debuts Its New Augmented Reality Playgrounds

From vrscout

Visitors can collaborate with others in real-time and contribute to existing structures using persistent AR elements.

Samsung today announced Dreamground, a next-gen playground that combines physical structures with AR technology to immerse visitors in a one-of-a-kind digital environment. Here they can use their smartphone devices to explorephysical artwork enhanced by AR visuals, floating portals leading to additional worlds, anda variety of on-screen animations.

“Consumers want meaningful experiences that are tailored to them,” said the company in an official release. “Samsung, with the breadth and depth of its connected products and services working together, enables these experiences and much more to bring the magic of human connection to life.”

Image Credit: Samsung

Visitors can collaborate with others in real-time and contribute to existing structures using persistent AR elements as well as create their own art by drawing midair. These creations will remain in the Dreamground experience for 24 hours, allowing other visitors to enjoy your creations, albeit for a limited time. There are even a few abstract face filters you can mess around with.

Each playground features a handful of digital portals leading to additional worlds, such as Bubbloonland, Fluttering Forest, and Crystal Galaxy.

“The Dreamground experience features portals that are exclusive to Galaxy 5G device holders on Verizon,” added Samsung. “These Galaxy 5G Portals feature 4K, 360 streamed video, and ultra-high fidelity AR. The ability to explore and interact in high resolution and in real-time showcases the power of the high bandwidth and low latency of 5G.”



Samsung’s Dreamground experience can be accessed at Hollywood Park andthe SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles as well as Samsung 837 in New York City using an Android or iOS device. As mentioned earlier, those with a Galaxy 5G device will have access to exclusive portals featuring various 4K, 360-degree video, and AR content.

For more information check out Samsung’s official announcement here.

Feature Image Credit: Samsung