Imagine you want to showcase your home for sale or rent to people who aren’t just a couple of suburbs away. They could be in a different city, or state or even country, and you’re not convinced that stock-standard pictures are going to really sell it.
OK, you could do a walk-through video on your phone, but you’d really need slightly better gear (a hand-held stabilizer, for a start).
And the thing about a walk-through is that the camera goes where you want, not where the viewer does. If you by-pass something that interests them that they glance in the corner of the screen, too bad. It’s gone and you’ve moved on.
Now imagine that, instead of walking through your flat, tripping over furniture and cats as you film, you could take a series of static shots with your smartphone.
Then a clever computer program would stitched them all together into a walk-through which is a bit better than that old hat idea because the viewer can choose where to look.
And imagine if the images were proportionately accurate, so much so that someone thousands of Ks away could measure up and see if their furniture fitted.
Or you could order furniture online and plug in the dimensions to see if it worked in the space you intended for it.
That facility, with so much more, is now available on Android phones through a company called Matterport Inc. which claims it is “the leading spatial data company driving the digital transformation of the built world.”
What that means is that you can use this software to recreate any interior on your phone and then explore it as if it was a computer game. And the big news it that you can upload it to your Android smartphone from Google Play.
Matterport’s press release talks about creating a “digital twin” of whatever it is you record and that’s a fairly accurate if slightly confusing description of what it does.
Basically it’s a 3D capture app with a lot of enhancements that mean everyone from real estate agents to Airbnb hosts can let potential clients explore their properties. Interior designers, builders and home makers could also find it invaluable.
It’s like that facility on Google Maps where you can stan on the street and look around – except its inside your flat and you can move from room to room.
But I’m going to stop the sales pitch right here and direct you to three videos which I suggest you view in this order order. Seriously, this is a visual medium and it’s much better for you to watch it than for me to try to explain it in non-technical English (which means I will inevitably get something wrong).
Start with this one (strictly speaking No2) which will show you what the “digital twin” looks like and how it can be used.
If you’re interested – and you will be – move back to this next one which shows how easy it is to set up.
And if you want to see how it can be useful in your life, move on to this next one.
Once you’ve had a look at the how-to videos aboove, check out these links:
- Matterport say homeowners can create a precise and comprehensive digital appraisal of their property and everything in it for insurance, space planning, or just peace of mind.
- Builders can plan and manage a construction project online and collaborate inside the digital twin with designers, contractors, and clientele.
- Real estate agents and rental property managers can quickly capture and publish a stunning 3D virtual experience online and share it across websites and professional and social networks.
And another selling point is instant gratification. Matterport say with the app installed, a digital twin can be created in just minutes.
“Setup is quick with helpful tutorials available every step of the way,” they say. “Matterport’s precision AI-powered capture software is designed to make 3D capture fast, easy, and reliable for everyone.”
So have a look at the visuals here and if they pique your interest, go to the Matterport website for more information. And set aside a good half hour for this – if you are at all interested, you will be intrigued.
