Roland Launches Augmented Reality Experience for Pianos

Roland Corporation has announced Roland AR, a new Augmented Reality (AR) experience designed to empower customers to visualise and engage with pianos within the comfort of their own homes and reshape the way consumers interact with and purchase Roland pianos.

One of the most significant challenges consumers face when purchasing large musical instruments, such as pianos, is understanding how they will fit within a personal space and which colour option suits their surroundings. Roland AR looks to eliminate these uncertainties by allowing customers to virtually place instruments in their rooms.

Leveraging the power of LIDAR technology found in modern mobile phones, users can scan their environments and incorporate true-to-scale virtual objects, such as the new GP Series Grand Pianos and popular LX and FP Series, providing an immersive and accurate representation of the instrument's size, appearance, and fit.

Roland AR is a browser-based experience that integrates with the Roland website and authorised Roland Piano Dealer’s product pages, allowing music lovers to experience 3D and AR directly from their favourite store. On a mobile device, customers can virtually walk around detailed, to-scale models with dynamic lighting and reflections to get a full understanding of the instrument's presence in their space. With the ability to share AR experiences directly in social stories, consumers can also interact with instruments in a new fun and engaging way.

“A piano is a big investment and more than just an instrument – it is an important piece of furniture too,” said Roland global channel marketing manager, David Paul. “So, we wanted to ensure that our customers had the best tools available to make the right choice for their homes and spaces. Roland AR provides an unparalleled experience with beautiful graphics, dynamic lighting, reflections, accurate sizing, and ease-of-use. Just perfect for home consumers, interior designers, and commercial properties such as hotels, bars, and restaurants.

“Our commitment to the Roland Piano dealer network is demonstrated by ensuring that Roland Piano AR is available for all our retailers’ website listings, and not just at roland.com,” he continued. “This means customers can benefit from Roland AR directly at their favourite retailer’s website.”