XR Navigation Paths for Retail Store Item Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
Customers face frustration when searching for and navigating to specific items in physical retail stores, as they often need to visit multiple stores, waste time determining availability, and may overlook cheaper options, due to lack of assistance in locating items within the store.
Innovation Solution
Extended reality (XR) devices are used to identify and guide users to locations within physical retail stores by overlaying audio-visual cues, utilizing real-time inventory information and user profiles to provide navigation paths directly to the items needed, reducing the need for manual searching and employee assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If customers manually search for items in physical retail stores, then they can find items, but it takes a lot of time and effort
Solution Approach 1:
The XR navigation system enables self-service by automatically guiding customers to item locations without requiring manual searching or employee assistance. The system uses augmented reality overlays and spatial mapping to autonomously navigate the customer through the store to the desired product location.
Solution Approach 2:
The XR device acts as an intermediary between the customer and the physical store environment. It provides augmented reality navigation cues and spatial information that mediate the customer's interaction with the store layout, enabling intuitive navigation without manual searching.
2Productivity
If customers visit multiple stores to find items, then they can compare options, but it increases time loss and reduces shopping efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-mapping the store layout and pre-identifying item locations before the customer enters the store. This allows the navigation system to be ready and provide immediate guidance upon entry, eliminating the need to visit multiple stores for location information.
Solution Approach 2:
The XR system provides real-time feedback to customers about their location relative to target items through augmented reality overlays and directional cues. This continuous feedback enables customers to efficiently navigate to items without needing to visit multiple stores to compare options.
3Loss of information
If customers rely on manual searching, then they can locate items, but they may overlook cheaper or better options
Solution Approach 1:
The XR system uses color-coded overlays and visual indicators to highlight different item locations and characteristics. Color changes and visual distinctions in the augmented reality interface guide customers to the best options and provide information about item locations that would otherwise be overlooked during manual searching.
Data Source
AI summary
In some implementations, an extended reality (XR) device may receive, via an interface of the XR device, an indication of items to be purchased. The XR device may identify one or more physical retail stores that carry the items. The XR device may identify one or more recommended items based on the theme. The XR device may provide, via the interface, a list of the one or more physical retail stores. The XR device may detect that the XR device is within a physical retail store, of the one or more physical retail stores, based on a geographic location associated with the XR device. The XR device may provide, via the interface, an in-store navigation path to direct a user of the XR device via overlayed audio-visual cues to locations within the physical retail store at which the items are held.