ITCraft's Augmented Reality App: A New Dimension of Play at Spielwarenmesse 2017

The digital gaming experience is an issue for many toy manufacturers. The company ITCRAFT has recognized this and offers exactly that with an augmented reality app. All that is required are 3D files for the products, which are usually available anyway. The first companies are already using the technology. It could also be interesting for marketing. The digital model can be distributed very easily and cheaply. This will often trigger the desire to have the real toy. An exciting technology - find out more in our video!

Augmented reality app for toy manufacturers

Felix Rother: Good afternoon. It all looks very technical here for the toy fair. Aleksey Andreychenko: Yes, it is. Felix Rother: What's going on here, can you explain it to me? Aleksey Andreychenko: We make augmented reality apps. Felix Rother: Augmented reality. That means one part is still real and the other part I can only see on a screen. Did I understand that correctly? Can you show me what ITCRAFT is for? Aleksey Andreychenko: Yes, that sums it up quite well. Among other things, we do a lot with mobile apps and websites. This application is intended for toy manufacturers. Felix Rother: Toys and augmented reality - can you show me what that looks like in combination? Aleksey Andreychenko: Yes of course, I can do that. Aleksey Andreychenko takes the tablet and holds it up to a picture. Aleksey Andreychenko: We have a tablet and a picture like this on the sheet. This could be an envelope from a catalog, for example. And then the app recognizes the image... Felix Rother: ... and suddenly shows me a toy in my own reality - where there is really nothing to see - that was previously invisible. You can walk around with it and see it from all sides. I can look at it from below, from above, from everywhere, or are there any restrictions? Aleksey Andreychenko: It all works very well. There are a few restrictions, but not many.

Felix Rother: So it's definitely possible to go all the way around? Aleksey Andreychenko: It is definitely possible. You are welcome to try it yourself. Felix Rother: (picks up the tablet) Okay, gladly. So here I have the spaceship, I go down on my knees and look from below and I go around once. I test it completely. The other side is also there, so there are no gaps. What can I do with it specifically, who are you addressing with it? Aleksey Andreychenko: We are now targeting toy manufacturers, because some already have it and we are now offering it with our app. There is definitely interest. Felix Rother: This means that you are opening up your expertise to other toy manufacturers to integrate augmented reality into their products. Do I understand that correctly? Aleksey Andreychenko: Yes, exactly, and it's pretty easy for toy manufacturers. All we really need are the 3D models. Then we can deliver the app. Felix Rother: Okay, so if I'm a spaceship toy manufacturer, I give you a model of a spaceship and you build it for me so that I can see it on my tablet like this. Aleksey Andreychenko: Yes, exactly. That's exactly how it works. Felix Rother: Tell me again how exactly you came up with this idea and how exactly you implement it. Aleksey Andreychenko: Some toy manufacturers already do this. But very many manufacturers don't have the opportunity to do this themselves. That's why we came up with the idea that we could offer this. We have the capacity and the experience. We have good developers who can implement this. Felix Rother: Ok. That means the app is the framework and depending on the company that approaches you, you then customize it exactly. Aleksey Andreychenko: Yes, exactly the same! That's right. Felix Rother: If I were a toy manufacturer, what would you tell me are the advantages of this product? Aleksey Andreychenko: I would say the advantages are as follows: Children play a lot with a tablet - I also have a son who plays a lot with the tablet. Once children have the virtual toy, they will naturally ask their parents to buy the physical toy. I'm sure it's good for marketing and sales - that's why we came up with the idea. Felix Rother: So can I just put this model on a shelf or what is possible? Aleksey Andreychenko: The image can actually be projected anywhere. Like here in the hand, for example. (Takes the image in his hand and holds the tablet over it - the spaceship is displayed on the tablet in his hand) Felix Rother: Then I hold the models in my hand and can almost play with them. The next step is to actually buy the end product, then you've done your job well as a marketing assistant, so to speak. Aleksey Andreychenko: That's exactly right. For example, you can also link the app directly to the online store so that customers can buy the product directly from the app. Felix Rother: Simply network everything. From trying it out for the first time, looking at it virtually, straight to ordering and then actually having the product at home. I find that very exciting, and I can only thank you for that! Good luck and see you soon.

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