LOS ANGELES — Calling it “a spicy, if not a little unconventional, future for sex toy commerce,” Third Aurora has entered the adult augmented reality (AR) arena with its “Every Single Sex Toy” app.
According to the Geelong, Australia-based developer, inquisitive couples who are “eager to try, but simply too shy” can now view items such as bondage cages, whips and chains and more, in the comfort of their own home by using its new app, which virtually displays the items as they will appear in the actual home.
“The result is a visualization realistic in every detail,” stated a company rep. “Users can even walk around the item to see it from all viewpoints or check whether it will fit in with the current décor.”
The team behind the app believes that the technology will play a huge role in not only sex toy sales, but many other industries as well and acknowledges that the platform will provide a bit of a giggle for consumers at first.
“There’s certainly been a lot of people giving it a go and some office banter about all the bits and pieces you can see. We’re expecting that at the start,” said company co-founder Dave Chaffey. “But once the initial laughter dies down, watch this become a serious channel for commerce.”
“Think about it for a second,” Chaffey added, “If you’re a coy couple looking to purchase bondage equipment, where do you start? You can look online, but photographs don’t give you the true picture. You really need to view it in a three-dimensional setting you know well, to see if it’s going to match the bedroom suite.”
The proof-of-concept is part of Third Aurora’s aggressive moves into AR commerce.
“We’re making technology accessible [by] creating purpose-built app platforms, for specific needs, which are easily available and simple to use,” Chaffey explained. “We see tremendous opportunity in the next five years to catch a significant market share.”
The simplicity of the platform allows anyone with a mobile phone to visualize a three-dimensional object, sitting perfectly in place, in their own home. This same technology is being rolled out for use across multiple industries — for example, previewing new homes, garages, heaters and air conditioning, with Third Aurora already developing a dozen industry-specific platforms since its inception earlier this year.
“No doubt about it, for a certain percentage of the population, this will be a new platform for commerce, particularly when the size of the item and its exact position matters,” Chaffey concluded. “We believe that smartphone augmented reality will play a part in 2-to-4 percent of sales, across all industries, within five years. It's an untapped field.”
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