A-League football club Sydney FC has claimed a first for Australia with the launch of an augmented reality experience that will give fans an early glimpse of its new stadium.
Sydney FC is due to move into the new-look Sydney Football Stadium, formerly known as Allianz Stadium, later this year.
The AR experience, which will be provided by Sydney-based AR/VR specialist 7DX, will give users an interactive preview of the stadium to explore. The AR technology will bring the stadium to life through a portal experience, with the Sydney FC crest spawning the stadium.
Fans will be able to check out new stadium features, look at new maps of the local area and explore the new venue from inside and out. The experience will include a guided tour from former Sydney FC captain Alex Brosque.
When launched in a large enough play area, fans will be able to expand the model to a point where they can stand in the middle of the pitch.
Sydney FC chief executive Danny Townsend said: “Using augmented reality is a highly exciting way to deliver the experiences we will be providing our members and fans with once the stadium opens.
“This way they can choose their seats, their membership packages and the experience they want from attending Sydney FC games from the comfort of their own home. Launching this microsite now gives our members and supporters early access to the best deals and as we look forward to returning to Moore Park in October, without having to wait until the stadium is open.”
7DX chief executive Julian Ward added: “The experience has been balanced to deliver a creative impact, as well as being functional and giving fans engaging content. What we can achieve now with WebAR and no app is fairly powerful.”
The WebAR experience is launched by opening a link or scanning a QR code, with fans able to project the vision onto a flat surface from their mobile or tablet device. The 3D stadium can be rotated and expanded alongside other useful information to explore spatially with maps and hotspot areas.
Sydney Football Stadium is being rebuilt at a cost of Aus$828m (£439m/€524m/$591m) and it is hoped the venue will be ready to host the National Rugby League (NRL)’s Grand Final in October.
Image: 7DX
