Category: Edmunds

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Edmunds Bring Their Can It Fit AR Feature To Android

Car-shopping experts Edmunds have announced the release of their Can It Fit augmented reality (AR) app for Android. This app allows users to visualize how different vehicles will fit in their garage, parking space and driveways before buying their selected vehicle.

Edmunds

The app was released for iOS back in September of last year allowing users to take advantage of Apple’s ARKit to see how their car might fit. With the release on Android, Edmunds leverages Google’s ARCore to bring the same results to Android users and offer a unique shopping experience that is also a great showcase of AR technology.

Edmunds experts say that a critical and often overlooked step in the shopping process of buying a car is that it will fit within the available space. Many dealerships offer extended test-drive programs that give shoppers a chance to take the car home over night, offering a chance to test the space, but it is not always an option. With the power of the Edmunds Can It Fit app, now shoppers have a chance to help them make an informed purchase.

Edmunds

“We’re thrilled that our Android users can now take advantage of AR to help them visualize almost any vehicle in their own space, and even give them the ability to walk around it and see how it will fit before they commit to such a large purchase,” said Amanda Shumak, technical lead manager at Edmunds. “This feature is one example of how Edmunds is using advanced technology to help inform and reassure car shoppers during their car-buying journey.”

Alongside the Can It Fit feature, a range of editorial reviews, photos and videos within the Edmund app will be included in the Android release. This means that not only do users have the advantage of leveraging depth-sensing, area learning and motion-tracking technology to enjoy an AR experience but also have a range of resources to help improve their purchase.

Edmunds is available to download now on Android and iOS so anyone with a compatible device will be able to install the app and start seeing what cars fit within the users available space. For more on AR apps in the future, keep reading VRFocus.

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Buying a new car? Use Edmunds AR app to see if it’ll fit

So you’re in the market for a new car, maybe the old one’s had it or you’re needing a bigger vehicle as the family grows? While you may be more concerned with the colour, how many seats it has, or how economical it maybe, one scenario that might be overlooked is where it’s going to be parked and whether it’ll fit. That may not be an issue if it’s being left on the street, but garages, parking spaces and driveways may cause more of an issue. So car shopping and information platform, Edmunds, has added and augmented reality (AR) feature to its iPhone app to help.

Developed by Edmunds on Apple’s ARKit, the feature leverages depth-sensing, area learning and motion-tracking technology to scan a local environment and create a 3D mesh. This 3D mesh is then used to determine if the 3D model of a vehicle can fit within that environment.

Edmunds iPad image

“Mobile-driven AR technology is evolving in ways that we can now start to leverage it to make car shopping easier and more convenient, similar to the disruption we’re seeing elsewhere in retail,” said Brock Stearn, Edmunds’ director of immersive technology. “By developing and making this industry-first AR feature available within our robust suite of car shopping tools, Edmunds continues to lead the way in empowering consumers to make informed decisions throughout their car shopping journey.”

For driveways and other areas without walls, users will be able to create “virtual walls” in order to provide the same functionality. Once an area is learned, the user can cycle through different vehicles to see which ones may safely fit or not. Specifications of nearly all US vehicles from 1990 to present will be supported.

The AR feature is available on the Edmunds app version 12.0 on the iPhone 6s and later. Users can find it in both the Tools menu and Vehicle Overview pages in the Edmunds app by tapping on the button labeled “Can It Fit?”

For the latest AR apps on iPhone, keep reading VRFocus.