Wayfair has joined The Khronos Group — an open industry consortium that creates standards for 3D graphics, visual processing and machine learning — as a contributing member.
The retailer will collaborate with more than 70 retail and technology companies, including Amazon, IKEA, Microsoft, Facebook and Google, to propel the acceleration of 3D modeling standards, as the Khronos 3D Commerce Exploratory Group becomes an official Khronos Working Group.
Wayfair has been involved in 3D modeling and advancing visual merchandising innovation since it began rendering 3D product models in 2015, before launching its first augmented reality app in 2016.
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In 2017, the home goods company made its 3D models available to the public on 3D design software SketchUP, and in 2018 Wayfair introduced a 3D modeling curriculum for décor and furniture. Prior to that, in 2016, Wayfair released a first-party 3D model API designed to enable developers to integrate more realistic content into their applications.
“With emerging technologies empowering retailers to create highly practical, immersive digital experiences, 3D is more impactful for than ever before,” said Shrenik Sadalgi, Head of Wayfair Next in a statement. Sadalgi will serve as Chair of the 3D Commerce Working Group. “Having been at the forefront of this transformation, we’ve learned that in order to scale these experiences and make them truly mainstream, standardization is a critical next step,” he added. “We’re proud to be part of this vital alignment between 3D tool vendors, content creators, manufacturers, retailers and platforms.”