Case Study
Home | Case-Studies |
The Client
Lowe's Innovation Labs: Innovation division of Lowe's Companies, Inc.
The Vision
Redefine retail experience with AR and VR.
The Problem
- Thousands of high-quality Optimized 3D models needed at scale.
Our Solution
- Custom pipeline to build high-quality AR-ready 3D models at scale
- A process that enabled the usage of the 3D models across different use cases
- Leveraged these 3D models to craft various visual content pieces and AR & VR experiences.
Impact & Results
- Cost savings
- 75% faster time-to-market
- Enhanced customer experience.
- 6000+ 3D models across categories.
- Launch of AR, VR, and Web3.0 experiences
- Created lifestyle images and 3D animations
Lowe's Innovation Labs: The Client & their Vision
Lowe’s Innovation Labs is the disruptive technology hub for Lowe’s Companies, Inc., a Fortune 50 home improvement company serving more than 18 million customers a week in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With a focus on emerging technologies and disruptive innovations, Lowe’s Innovation Labs is committed to creating unique customer experiences and improving operational efficiency.
Lowe’s Innovation Labs had a vision. They saw a future where Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) would redefine the retail experience in their stores and online platforms. To bring this vision to life, they needed thousands of high-quality, optimized 3D models of the products sold by Lowe’s.
The Challenge at Hand
The challenge was twofold. The 3D models needed to be highly optimized in terms of file size, polygon count, and UV layouts to ensure seamless integration into AR and VR applications. This optimization needed to be achieved without compromising the quality of the models. Moreover, the scale of the project was massive, with a need for thousands of 3D models.
The Solution in Sight
House of Blue Beans (HOBB), with its expertise in 3D modeling and a deep understanding of AR and VR technologies, was the perfect partner for Lowe’s Innovation Labs. HOBB was born out of a philosophy that technology should serve the user, not the other way around.
HOBB deployed its best Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to understand the specifications and build a custom pipeline that could cater to the mass-scale requirement without compromising quality.
Samples of Photogrammetry Inputs
Lowe’s Innovation Labs possessed an advanced photogrammetry rig within their facility, designed to automate the production of 3D assets. This advanced rig utilized photogrammetry technology to scan objects, providing a foundation for creating 3D models.
HOBB leveraged these scans to retopologize and develop photorealistic models suitable for immersive AR and VR experiences. Throughout the partnership, HOBB received an impressive total of over 3500 scans and 1000s of images as inputs, further enhancing the scale and quality of the 3D modeling process.
Created High-Quality 3D Models at Scale
Over a partnership spanning three years, HOBB developed over 6000+ 3D models and 4000+ AR ready models that were integrated into various AR and VR experiences used by Lowe’s customers. The team of highly skilled 3D artists at HOBB ensured that each model was meticulously crafted to meet the high standards set by Lowe’s Innovation Labs
The Impact and Outcome
The partnership with HOBB had a significant impact on Lowe’s Innovation Labs:
- Platform for AR & VR Experiences: The 3D models facilitated the launch of a variety of AR, VR, and Web 3.0 experiences, significantly enhancing the customer experience.
- Efficiency: The use of 3D models and state-of-the-art CGI technology reduced the go-to-market time by 75%.
- Cost Savings: The use of 3D models for creating lifestyle images and white background images across product categories saved millions of dollars for the marketing division. It also reduced the total budget used for creating the annual Patio catalog by 75%.
- Scale: HOBB created over 6000+ 3D models for Lowe's across various categories.
Use Cases of the 3D Models Created
The 3D models created in partnership with HOBB served as the foundation for launching several initiatives: Over a partnership spanning three years, HOBB developed over 4000+ 3D assets that were integrated into various AR and VR experiences used by Lowe’s customers.
In addition, HOBB leveraged the 3D models to build over 2000+ lifestyle images and 5000+ eCommerce images.
The Path Forward
As technology continues to evolve, the use of 3D modeling in retail is set to become even more prevalent. With our expertise in 3D modeling and a deep understanding of AR and VR technologies, we at HOBB are ready to help retailers like Lowe’s Innovation Labs revolutionize the retail experience.
HOBB’s Value proposition: Enterprise wide 3D Digital Transformation
Our Role and Contribution
6000+
3D models across categories
4000+
AR ready 3D assets
5000+
ecommerce images created
2000+
lifestyle images
75%
faster go-to-market time
A true partner for unique visualization projects
I have had the pleasure of working with House of Blue Beans over the past two years on a variety of visualization projects. In that time, the team’s professionalism, vision and obsession with reimagining home visualization has made them an indispensable partner. Whether they’re developing CGI room scenes at scale, building an augmented reality prototype or helping develop a business case, Keshav, Kaushik and their team consistently overdeliver. In a market crowded with order takers, HOBB acts as a true partner, willing to provide an alternative perspective or challenge a creative brief in order to get to the best, most unique product. I heartily endorse them.
About HOBB
The founder, having worked in a startup focused on building AR & VR applications, saw that many solutions were being developed for the sake of using technology, often overlooking the true pain points of the end user. This realization led to the formation of HOBB, a company that puts the customer’s problem at the heart of the development process, using technology as a means to build the ideal solution.