Shops in Lleida offer an immersive experience with augmented reality this Christmas thanks to 5G technology

• The pilot project, which is part of the Ponent 5G Area, is promoted by the Generalitat of Catalonia, Mobile World Capital Barcelona and the i2Cat Foundation, and has the Chamber of Commerce of Lleida, the Provincial Council of Lleida, the Paeria de Lleida and Invelon as local promoters. 
• The test, which validates the 5G technology infrastructure in the Lleida Commercial Hub, since all the content is immediately downloaded from the cloud, will take place from December 22 to January 30. 
• Through an application, citizens will be able to interact with the statue of Indibil and Mandoni and the historic store “Lo Baratillo” and with three establishments in the Lleida Commercial Area (Calzados Girón, Flores Carol and Foto Estilo). 

December 12, 2023

The Generalitat of Catalonia, Mobile World Capital Barcelona, and the Lleida City Council (La Paeria) presented today, with a tour in the city centre, the pilot project with 5G technology that seeks to boost local commerce by offering content of interest to citizens. Through immersive technology and augmented reality, users will be able to enter historic places in the city and get to know the shops of the Commercial Area in a participatory way and through the experience, which will be launched on December 22 and will last until January 30. The “AR Commercial Area” project not only demonstrates the transformative capacity of Augmented Reality in the commercial context, but also represents a significant boost for the visibility of local businesses. In addition, the project validates the 5G technology infrastructure in the Lleida Commercial Area, since all content is immediately downloaded from the cloud, guaranteeing a smooth experience.

The pilot project has been developed by the company Invelon Technologies within the Ponent 5G Area, which has the Chamber of Commerce of Lleida, the Provincial Council of Lleida, La Paeria and Invelon as local promoters. The Ponent 5G Area is part of the 5G Area’s initiative promoted by the Generalitat of Catalonia, Mobile World Capital Barcelona and the i2CAT Foundation with the aim of creating territorial spaces where different initiatives aimed at promoting 5G technology as an enabling technology are added.

The presentation of the pilot, which took place this afternoon in the centre of Lleida, was attended by Liliana Arroyo Moliner, general director of Digital Society of the Generalitat of Catalonia; Pilar Bosch, Councillor for Culture and Promotion of the City of Lleida; Eduard Martín, CIO of Mobile World Capital Barcelona, and Alan Navarro, Business Developer of Invelon Technologies, the company that developed the application. Also with the presence of  Agustí Jiménez, vice-president of the Lleida Provincial Council, Blanca Siurana, head of commerce of the Lleida Chamber of Commerce, and Artur Serra, co-director of the i2Cat Foundation.

Improve the user experience

The shops adhering to the initiative are in the Commercial Area of Lleida, specifically, in Democràcia, Magdalena and Cardenal Remolins streets. The mobile application “Eje Comercial AR” is a proof of concept on how Augmented Reality technology can boost and energize the commercial experience in Lleida. Thanks to an application (app), users can enjoy animations applied to the emblematic statue of Indibil and Mandoni, which have been made with facial and body tracking technology. A highlight is Indibil’s invitation to explore several historic and renowned shops in the Lleida Shopping Centre.

In addition to the statue of Indibil and Mandoni, the proposal also includes the historic shop “Lo Baratillo”, where users will be able to remember all the toys hanging from the balconies. Citizens will also be able to interact with 3 establishments in the Lleida Commercial Axis: Calzados Girón, Flores Carol and Foto Estilo. These establishments are presented through holographic representations of their owners, acting as personal shoppers, and appearing virtually through the visitors’ phone, superimposed on the façade of each premises.

Inside the stores, you can see distinctive 3D elements of each establishment, integrated through Augmented Reality. This content is hung in a simple web environment that allows merchants to upload the desired content and create completely dynamic and digital storefronts. The content can be consumed in Augmented Reality and with 360° videos. Once the content has been consumed, the user can participate in a Quiz related to the information received. Completing this Quiz will allow you to earn an in-app badge, adding a gamification layer to the mobile app.