How to Use 8th Wall for Image Recognition in AR
Moody Mattan • June 15, 2024
Augmented Reality (AR) is changing how we interact with the digital world, and 8th Wall is at the forefront of this transformation. This web-based platform allows developers to create immersive AR experiences without app downloads. One of its standout features is image recognition, which enhances how users engage with AR by recognizing and interacting with images in real-time. In this article, we will explore how to use 8th Wall for image recognition in AR and touch on key concepts such as 3D models, web apps, world tracking, and more.
Introduction to 8th Wall
8th Wall is a powerful web-based AR platform that enables developers to create, publish, and manage AR experiences that run directly in a mobile browser. This eliminates the need for users to download an app, making AR experiences more accessible and user-friendly. 8th Wall supports flat and curved image targets, allowing for various applications from marketing campaigns to interactive art.
Getting Started with 8th Wall
To start with 8th Wall, you must first sign up for an account. 8th Wall offers a 14-day free trial, a great way to explore the platform's capabilities before committing to a subscription.
- Sign Up and Start a New Project: Visit the 8th Wall website and sign up for a free trial. Once registered, log in to your dashboard and start a new project. You can choose from a variety of templates or start from scratch.
- Set Up Your Project: After creating a new project, you can set up your AR experience by configuring the project name, description, and target images. 8th Wall supports both flat image targets and cylindrical or conical-shaped targets, providing flexibility in triggering your AR experiences.
Creating Image Targets
Image recognition in 8th Wall involves creating image targets that the camera app will recognize and interact with. These can be flat images or more complex shapes like curved surfaces.
- Upload Image Targets: In your 8th Wall project dashboard, navigate to the "Image Targets" section. Here, you can upload the images you want to use as targets. The platform supports various image types, and choosing high-contrast images is important for better recognition accuracy.
- Configure Image Targets: Once uploaded, you can configure each image target by adjusting size, position, and tracking behavior. 8th Wall allows you to combine image targets, enabling more complex interactions within your AR experience.
Integrating 3D Models
3D models are essential for creating rich, interactive AR experiences. With 8th Wall, you can easily integrate 3D models into your web AR projects.
- Prepare Your 3D Models: Ensure your 3D models are optimized for web performance. Common formats include glTF and FBX, which are widely supported by 8th Wall.
- Upload and Place 3D Models: In your project dashboard, go to the "Assets" section and upload your 3D models. Once uploaded, you can place them in the scene and adjust their positioning relative to the image targets.
- Animate and Interact: Use 8th Wall’s scripting capabilities to add animations and interactions to your 3D models. This can include simple animations triggered by image recognition or more complex behaviors driven by user interactions.
Implementing World Tracking
World tracking is a feature that enhances AR experiences by understanding the environment and allowing virtual objects to interact with the real world. 8th Wall's world tracking is powered by SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), enabling dynamic and interactive AR content.
- Enable World Tracking: In your project settings, enable world tracking to allow your AR content to interact with the physical environment. This is particularly useful for creating experiences that require objects to stay in place as the user moves around.
- Use World Anchors: Place world anchors in your scene to define points in the real world where virtual objects should be anchored. This helps in creating a stable and immersive AR experience.
Using QR Codes for AR Experiences
QR codes are a convenient way to share and access AR experiences. 8th Wall allows you to generate QR codes that users can scan to access your AR project instantly.
- Generate QR Codes: In your project dashboard, generate a QR code for your AR experience. This code can be shared on print materials, websites, or social media.
- Scan and Experience: Users can scan the QR code with their smartphone camera to launch the AR experience directly in their mobile browser. This seamless access enhances user engagement and makes it easy to distribute your AR content.
Combining Image Targets and World Tracking
For more complex AR experiences, you can combine image targets with world tracking. This allows you to create interactive experiences triggered by images and anchored in the real world.
- Set Up Combined Targets: Configure your project's image targets and world tracking settings. This combination allows your AR content to be initially triggered by an image and then continue interacting with the environment using world tracking.
- Develop Interactive Content: Use 8th Wall’s scripting tools to create interactive behaviors that respond to image recognition and world-tracking data. This could include animations that start when an image is recognized and continue as the user moves around.
Real-Time Interactions and Feedback
Real-time interactions are crucial for creating engaging AR experiences. 8th Wall provides tools for capturing user inputs and immediate feedback within the AR scene.
- Capture User Inputs: Use the platform’s input handling capabilities to capture gestures, taps, and other interactions. This allows you to create responsive and interactive content that reacts to user actions in real-time.
- Provide Feedback: Implement visual and auditory feedback to enhance the user experience. This can include animations, sounds, and changes in the AR content based on user interactions.
Conclusion
Using 8th Wall for image recognition in AR opens up possibilities for creating immersive and interactive experiences. You can develop sophisticated AR projects that engage and delight users by leveraging its powerful features, such as 3D model integration, world tracking, and QR code access. Whether you're a seasoned developer or new to AR, 8th Wall's intuitive platform and comprehensive tools make bringing your creative visions to life easier than ever.
With 8th Wall, the only limit is your imagination. Start exploring the potential of AR today and see how you can transform your ideas into reality with cutting-edge image recognition technology.
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2025 was a blockbuster year for out-of-home advertising, with billboards reimagined as immersive brand experiences. From classic static signs to anamorphic 3D displays and interactive AR billboards, top brands pushed creative boundaries to captivate audiences. Below we list 25 of the year’s most memorable U.S. billboard campaigns – spanning Fortune 500 heavyweights and viral sensations – and unpack why each knocked it out of the park (often winning awards or lighting up social media in the process). Enjoy this list of 2025’s best billboards, curated especially for OOH marketing pros!
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Social augmented reality has shifted from novelty filters to a $342 billion market opportunity by 2037, with Fortune 1000 companies realizing a 460% return on ad spend and achieving 70% higher brand recall rates through targeted AR strategies. Early adopters are gaining competitive advantages that will be hard to copy as widespread adoption grows, making 2025 a crucial period for strategic investment. The convergence of mature AR technologies, widespread consumer adoption, and proven business outcomes has reached a tipping point for marketing leaders. With 75% of the global population expected to use AR by 2025 and AR campaigns consistently outperforming traditional digital ads by 200-300% , Snapchat and TikTok stand out as the most significant marketing platform evolution since social media first appeared. Companies adopting comprehensive metaverse marketing strategies are positioning themselves at the forefront of this shift.
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Executive Summary Snapchat Spectacles AR glasses represent a $353 billion market opportunity projected by 2030, with Fortune 500 companies already achieving 20-40% conversion rate increases through AR implementations. The 2024 developer program launch positions forward-thinking marketing organizations to build competitive advantages ahead of the 2026 consumer release. Key findings : 91% of tech enterprises are adopting AR/VR, with proven ROI across retail (resulting in 31% sales boosts), training (yielding 40% productivity improvements), and experiential marketing. Early adopters, such as Sephora, Walmart, and Boeing, demonstrate that AR investments yield measurable returns when used strategically. For Fortune 1000 marketing leaders, the key opportunity to build AR capabilities is now—before widespread adoption commoditizes these advantages. The core technology is solid: current Spectacles offer a 46° field of view, 45-minute battery life, and comprehensive developer tools for $99 per month. Although hardware limitations exist, the platform's social-first focus and AI integration offer unique opportunities for brand storytelling, customer engagement, and immersive experiences that traditional marketing channels cannot match. The technology behind next-generation marketing Snapchat's fifth-generation Spectacles are the most advanced consumer AR glasses available, boasting technical specs that enable enterprise marketing applications previously unattainable with mobile AR. Core technical capabilities position these glasses for professional use, featuring dual Qualcomm Snapdragon processors with titanium vapor chamber cooling, proprietary Liquid Crystal on Silicon micro-projectors, and comprehensive sensor suites that include four cameras, six-microphone arrays, and 6-axis IMUs. The 13-millisecond motion-to-photon latency ensures seamless AR integration that doesn't break immersion, critical for customer-facing applications. The platform's AI integration sets it apart from competitors . Native support for both OpenAI GPT and Google Gemini models allows real-time contextual understanding, while over 40 language transcription capabilities facilitate global marketing opportunities. The spatial engine offers persistent 3D object placement, enabling brands to develop location-specific experiences that remain consistent across multiple user sessions. Current limitations require strategic planning . The 45-minute battery life restricts extended use, while the 46° field of view creates a "box effect" instead of full peripheral vision. The 226-gram weight, although much lighter than VR headsets, still feels heavy during long customer interactions. However, these issues can be addressed through creative campaign design and will improve with the introduction of the lighter, more advanced "Specs" in 2026. Developer ecosystem maturity delivers immediate value. Over 4 million existing Snapchat Lenses are compatible with the new hardware, while partnerships with LEGO, Lucasfilm, and enterprise training companies demonstrate B2B potential. The $99 monthly subscription with no revenue sharing offers favorable economics for Fortune 1000 companies developing proprietary experiences.
The artificial intelligence glasses market has reached its inflection point in 2025, with Meta's Ray-Ban collaboration demonstrating consumer demand and driving 210% year-over-year growth. The market is projected to expand from $1.93 billion in 2024 to $8.26 billion by 2030, representing a 27.3% compound annual growth rate. Industry analysts anticipate over 25 million AR glasses shipments by 2030 with 67% CAGR growth, while Meta currently dominates with over 60% market share and 2 million units sold. For Fortune 1000 marketing executives, AI glasses represent a transformative technology that enables contextual advertising, immersive brand experiences, and unprecedented first-party data collection. Apple's Vision Pro sparked enterprise pilots in 50% of Fortune 100 companies within three months of its launch , while early AR advertising implementations demonstrate engagement increases of 30-40% over static ads and 67%+ social sharing rates for AR-enhanced attractions. The convergence of computer vision, natural language processing, and augmented reality creates opportunities for revolutionary customer engagement strategies that build on proven advances in out-of-home advertising technology . The competitive landscape will intensify dramatically over the next 18 months , with Apple's late-2026 launch targeting Meta's dominance, Google's Android XR platform enabling multiple hardware partners, and Johnny Ive's $6.5 billion OpenAI collaboration promising breakthrough design innovation. Marketing leaders must evaluate platform strategies now to take advantage of this emerging category before market consolidation occurs. Ray-Ban Meta leads through proven AI integration and consumer adoption Meta's Ray-Ban Smart Glasses have established the AI glasses category through advanced artificial intelligence capabilities instead of basic smart features. With more than 2 million units sold since October 2023 and sales tripling year-over-year in Q1 2025 , the partnership with EssilorLuxottica shows that consumers will embrace AI wearables when they provide real utility. The device's 12MP ultra-wide camera, equipped with 1080p video recording at 30fps, enables Meta AI's "Look and Ask" feature, allowing users to receive contextual information about their environment through computer vision analysis. The Snapdragon AR1 Gen1 processor, featuring dedicated AI processing units, manages on-device inference, while five built-in microphones and open-ear speakers ensure clear audio quality. Real-time language translation supports English, French, Italian, and Spanish; Shazam integration offers instant music identification. Technical specifications highlight consumer-ready design priorities : a 50-gram weight ensures all-day comfort, 4 hours of active usage with a 32-hour charging case capacity, and LED recording indicators address privacy concerns. The audio-focused approach without visual displays allows for immediate market deployment while Meta develops true AR capabilities for future generations. Meta AI integration marks the first successful deployment of multimodal AI in consumer wearables , simultaneously processing visual, audio, and contextual data. Users can capture hands-free photos and videos, live-stream directly to Facebook and Instagram with one-touch broadcasting, and access voice-activated calling and messaging. First-person perspective content creation removes filming friction , enabling authentic "through the eyes" experiences perfect for influencer marketing and experiential campaigns. Pricing accessibility drives mainstream adoption , with base models starting at $299 for clear lenses, $329 for polarized, and $379 for Transitions technology. The integration of prescription lenses adds $160-$300, positioning the product competitively against premium sunglasses while delivering advanced AI capabilities. Availability in over 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, and India, demonstrates Meta's commitment to global scale. Expanding production capacity to 10 million units annually by 2026 demonstrates Meta's confidence in ongoing demand growth. EssilorLuxottica's manufacturing expertise, combined with Meta's software platform, creates significant barriers to entry for competitors without similar partnerships.
The merging of physical and digital retail experiences through augmented reality has reached a pivotal point, with Fortune 1000 companies reporting 20-40% increases in conversion rates and the AR retail market growing from $2.3 billion in 2024 to an estimated $6.7 billion by 2030. This thorough analysis shows that early adopters of AR storefronts, murals, billboards, and mirrors are enhancing customer engagement and fundamentally changing retail profitability. With 91.75% of Generation Z showing strong interest in AR shopping experiences and 61% of consumers preferring stores with AR features , the chance to lead the market is quickly slipping away. The evidence is clear: Sephora's AR mirrors result in a 31% boost in sales and 90% higher conversion rates , while furniture retailers using AR visualization see a 22-40% reduction in return rates . These are not just experimental numbers—they are proven business outcomes from cosmetics, fashion, furniture, and out-of-home advertising applications. The main message is this: organizations that excel in phygital experiences over the next 18 months will gain significant competitive advantages as consumer expectations increase around interactive, immersive shopping. Quantified market opportunity validates strategic urgency The phygital retail market is one of modern commerce's most exciting growth stories. The global AR shopping market is projected to reach $54.7 billion by 2033 , with a remarkable 29.9% compound annual growth rate from $4.0 billion in 2023. This growth is driven by both technological advances and fundamental shifts in consumer behavior, particularly among digital-native demographics who will have purchasing power over the next decade. Consumer demand has hit a turning point : 91.75% of Generation Z shoppers actively seek AR-enabled experiences, and 65% of all consumers now prefer phygital shopping over traditional methods. Perhaps most notably, 40% of consumers are willing to pay premium prices for products they can experience through AR, demonstrating that this technology increases engagement and revenue. The mobile AR retail market alone is expected to hit $8.6 billion by 2025, with 1.73 billion AR-enabled devices worldwide by the end of 2024. This infrastructure removes previous barriers to AR adoption, allowing mass-market consumers to access sophisticated retail experiences via existing smartphone hardware. BrandXR's detailed analysis of AR in retail emphasizes this transformation across various industry sectors. Enterprise adoption is quickly rising : 35% of business leaders have adopted AR/VR technology in at least one business unit, with 13% implementing it across multiple divisions. Among Fortune 500 retailers, 70% actively integrate phygital technologies, while 57% plan to increase software spending in 2024 specifically for marketing and IT initiatives supporting these experiences.
Stop Buying Billboards. Start Building Experiences.
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