Google Moves Into Augmented Reality Shopping With BMW and Gap
- Two new apps for Tango released at CES but with limited reach
- Carmakers step up retail concepts as showroom traffic drops
This article is for subscribers only.
Google is rolling out a real world application for its most ambitious virtual reality effort: letting shoppers see what they might buy without leaving home.
The Alphabet Inc. unit on Wednesday introduced two new retail partnerships, with BMW and Gap Inc., deploying its 3D-scanning project called Tango. The technology uses cameras and sensors in mobile devices to overlay digital images in physical space -- akin to the hit mobile game Pokemon Go. The retail deals announced at the consumer technology show CES in Las Vegas hint at Google’s broader ambition to merge its mapping capabilities with its core business of facilitating commerce.