AI + AR App Prompts & Creates Guides for New Lego Builds
Published 07 July 2021
Powering up consumer creativity, astonishing new Russian app Brickit scans mounds of Lego, identifying thousands of bricks, and presents consumers with new ideas for builds based only on what’s there. The app uses both augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) to recognise individual bricks and then configure new structures, guiding users through the building process.
AI + AR App Prompts & Creates Guides for New Lego Builds
To use, consumers simply open the Brickit app and scan a pile of Lego bricks (using the iPhone camera function). Within around 10 seconds, they are then presented with options of new builds for which users have all the necessary bricks. The app also notes builds for which users are only missing a small number of bricks. This is a potential avenue for further commercialising the app, which has been developed by a small group of app-developer Lego fans, but it could represent a valuable addition to the Danish toymaker’s consumer offer.
Once users click on a build, they are presented with an in-app digital guide on how to make that model. The design of the instructions recalls Lego’s classic user manuals, with the added benefit of the app identifying exactly where in the pile of bricks each required piece is.
When a build is finished, consumers have the option of sharing their creation to social media platforms and directly with friends via messaging apps. The app is currently only available on IoS, with an Android version expected in autumn.
For more on pioneering toy brand engagement, see Tech-Enhanced Interactive Play in Kids World: Commerce for Alpha Consumers and Kids-Centric Commerce. For more on AR, see Retail: AR Added Value.
