Augmented Reality App
We worked closely with the Connectivity Solutions division of Lufthansa Technik AG to develop a novel augmented reality application for trade fairs and the international sales team at Lufthansa Technik. This application brings a complex B2B product to life in digital form.
The challenge
Lufthansa Technik develops customised connectivity solutions for airlines. These often involve satcom installations — complex additional structures on the fuselage of modern commercial aircraft that provide passengers with easy in-flight internet access.
The sales team's problem:
These complex, material-intensive aircraft modifications are difficult to illustrate to potential customers. Transporting materials to trade fairs and acquisition meetings around the world is also extremely time-consuming and costly.
We were therefore asked:
How can the product and its advantages be better illustrated using digital media?
Lufthansa Technik's Connectivity AR-App launched @ Aircraft Interiors Expo Hamburg, 2019 ↗︎
Our answer: augmented reality
This idea came about quickly. In our view, many AR applications offer little added value; often, the focus is on the technology itself, causing the added value to be overlooked. However, we believed that this technology was ideal for this particular case. Consequently, Lufthansa Technik required little persuasion.
From proof of concept to finished app
Our project team was initially inundated with questions: Is the technology mature enough to be used by customers or at trade shows? How will we handle the huge amounts of complex CAD data? Would the application work on an empty car body under trade show lighting and with the resulting reflections? How long does the battery last during continuous iPad operation at trade shows?
We convinced the Lconnect team of the need for technical concept validation by systematically examining numerous questions and uncertainties. Ultimately, the decision was clear: 'Go Lconnect AR App.'
The path to the finished app using Agile methods
We developed the concept and finished the application in just under three months. Thanks to the open and curious approach of the Lconnect team, we were able to develop a stable and well-designed app through short and intensive design and development sprints. The app can be used at trade fairs or as a standalone application embedded in an overall installation of an empty aircraft fuselage. The minimalist user interface provides space for the virtual 3D objects of the Satcom installation. An onion layer model enables users to explore the aircraft's deeper structural elements.
This is an interactive mock-up of a business jet, developed by Lufthansa Technik for international trade fairs, which connects real aircraft hardware with a virtual twin in Unity.
The Cabin 4.0 research project for Lufthansa Technik and TUHH. The project involves the development of a prototype in the field of object recognition and 3D data visualisation.