JOIN USUpload your picture, take a virtual ride on a Harley
So you finally found a bike after frenzied online research. Why not now take a virtual ride on that Harley Davidson Dyna Fat Bob before a trip to a physical showroom?
Simply upload your photo and there goes a helmeted ‘you’ riding the bike of your choice! Making this a reality for the first time, global two-wheeler multi-brand portal Bikeheight.com has now gone live. So has an android mobile app.
Developed at its research lab in Bengaluru by Brain Programmers, the technology could potentially change the way people shop online. It could be the next best thing to the ‘touch and feel’ factor, a last-mile that sellers are still struggling to bridge with buyers.
Like most auto websites, Bikeheight.com does offer technical specifications, on-road price, dealer details and test drive appointments for a chosen bike. But for the first time, you could now see yourself on a Harley Davidson or a BMW, Indian or a Kawazaki, Triumph or Piaggio bike of multiple designs. The list also includes Yamaha, DSK, Bajaj, Hero, Royal Enfield, KTM, Aprilia, UM and Suzuki.
Video option
Next week, the ride experience will get a video option. As Brain Programmers CEO, Nitin Vats, explained to Deccan Herald, you could be seen riding with a partner on a racing track or a highway. Shoots are now underway, and multiple, customisable videos will be available in a week.
The customised photo / video could be shared on social networking sites. “Users could also interact with different parts of a bike such as light, sound and meter to bring the real showroom experience online. The technology of Bike Height is patent-protected,” said Vats.
A similar portal for cars and accessories is also on Brain Programmers’ agenda. At Auto Expo 2014 in Delhi, the company had introduced a realistic virtual showroom for Hero Moto Corp. The feature had generated huge interest among potential buyers.
Apparel trial
Using the same technology, the company has forayed into the online apparels market with tryndbuy.com. This portal, ready for launch next week, will give users the experience of virtually trying out different clothes.
They just need to upload their photo, key in body size and generate a virtual model that wears multiple garments, fitting perfectly to the body contours. Brain Programmers has already inked a deal with fashion brand Monte Carlo to showcase its products this way.
E-Commerce sites, eager to boost customer experience, are expected to pitch for this technology in a big way. Vats said the company has filed over 50 patents in the US, Japan, UAE, Europe, Canada and Australia.