The Lundgren Consumer Science Lab
Where physical and virtual retail experiences converge.
The Lab in the Norton School of Human Ecology offers an augmented reality experience for students and researchers. The space, and its digital twin (a faithful recreation of the space in VR), is used for teaching and research into merchandising techniques, store design, digital creation, and store development.
Transforming Retail Education
Digital twins are transforming the retail sector, creating a need to train students in VR and conduct XR research. The Lab features traffic mapping of how people move through space, advanced automation systems like touchless point of sales, and brand partnerships to place real products in the space for supply chain studies.
The Lundgren Center for Retailing partnered with the University of Arizona AI Core to create a digital twin of the lab, complete with an AI guide that can answer questions and help people navigate the space.
The photogrammetry station scans objects on a rotating platform with stationary cameras set at multiple angles. Images are stitched together into a digital 3D image using photogrammetry software. While initially used to stock the Lab Digital Twin with merchandise, the station is available to anyone on campus who wants to create digital objects.
Learn more about the Lundgren Consumer Science Lab.
Interested in trying it out?
The physical lab's Digital Makerspace features a photogrammetry station that transforms physical objects into 3D digital models—and it's available to anyone with a NetID.