Harrods turns on the AR to usher in Christmas displays

Harrods, the Knightsbridge luxury department store which opened in the 1840s, is turning to 21st century tech to keep the shoppers engaged with the launch of augmented reality Christmas window displays starring a bespoke robot character busting some moves.

The augmented reality experience blends the luxury retailer’s festive window displays with 3D animations, delivered through WebAR technology, in partnership with Visualise AR & VR. The AR spectacle can be viewed in a mobile browser by passers-by once they scan the code in the window.

This year’s festive theme is “Witness a Spectacle” and features a large feasting table that runs the entire length of the Harrods store, with the windows displaying an array of goods from luxury brands, including Miu Miu, Bvlgari, and Carolina Herrera.

The robot character, complete with a Harrods ‘H’ breast plate, begins the animation dancing to swan lake, before breaking from its mechanical restraints and freestyling in the window.

Visualise AR & VR said the 3D animation was designed by its VFX team, who used motion capture techniques to create the movement for each version of the experience.

Once the scenes were completed, the development team worked to further optimise the 3D animation for playback in a mobile web-browser, adding realistic reflections and lighting to the scene.

A spokesperson added: “It had to be carefully optimised and tested on a range of mobile phones getting the best balance of look and compatibility.

“To make everything look as realistic as possible, our development team used 8th Wall’s image and SLAM tracking software, together with a custom built suite of tools to track the animation perfectly to the windows.”

“Finally, we added the facility for users to capture and share their experience which until very recently, was virtually impossible in a browser.”