Augmented reality platform teams up with blockchain creator to bring NFTs into the real world

Overly, the do-it-yourself augmented reality (AR) platform, empowers NFT creators and owners to interact with their digital tokens in real life as the startup announces OpeanSea.io integration. The company’s first blockchain art collaboration now sees the world-famous mural artist, KIWIE, use AR to reveal NFTs tagged to his real-life street art.

Riga, Latvia (May 10, 2022) Overly, the no-code AR creation platform, offers NFT creators and connoisseurs a no-strings-attached visualization opportunity. While most AR NFT platforms come with their own community, marketplace, and development rules, Overly empowers owners to launch their NFTs in augmented reality straight from OpenSea—the largest and most trusted NFT marketplace.

Unlike existing providers, Overly has skipped on launching a trading platform. Instead, the company looks to continue its mission of easing the creation of augmented reality experiences. Thanks to its latest OpenSea integration, adding NFTs to augmented reality projects is now a quick copy-paste job.

"The market has been focused on building semi-closed communities for those wishing to create or appreciate NFT content in augmented reality. So far, people could create, purchase and view AR NFTs through a specialist provider or not at all," said Gatis Zvejnieks, Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Overly. "People who buy 2D content on OpenSea may purchase a 3D object the next day. Just because an NFT wasn't minted on an AR-powered platform doesn't mean people can't bring it to their environment through augmented reality," continued Zvejnieks.

The idea to offer NFT visualization was born after Overly’s collaboration with the world-famous homonymous mural artist and blockchain creator, KIWIE. What started as a special edition of blockchain artworks at Spain's “Be Baller” festival has now inspired KIWIE to add AR features to his geotagged NFT drops for Rarible.

Each of the artist's NFTs is geotagged to an actual spray painting somewhere in the world. Starting from his latest limited edition drop in Spain, fans who travel to see the AI-powered street art pieces will now be able to view their digital representation in real-time through the Overly app. "There is a reason why the world's biggest brands invest millions to create online assets for Metaverse. Digital ownership is becoming just as important as the physical assets we have. It makes complete sense that NFT holders want to interact with their digital purchases or show them off in real life. AR is simply the best tool to do it, and I am excited to work with Overly to bridge the gap between my physical and digital work," says KIWIE.

Overly’s customers can now add NFTs to their marker-based augmented reality experiences by copying a hyperlink to their digital assets within its 3D editor. The system then pulls NFT metadata to visualize it directly from the hosting platform. Fans can also opt for KIWIE’s example and upload files manually to visualize NFTs sold or purchased on other platforms. Markerless NFT visualization via WebAR is currently available on request. "People can use AR to take photos with their purchases or decorate homes with digital objects. NFTs no longer have to be reserved for our virtual expeditions and games nor be completely separate from our world," adds Zvejnieks.

Overly currently supports OpenSea.io NFTs in such 3D file formats as GLTF, GLB, FBX as well as 2D assets including JPG, PNG and MP4. Looking to the future, Overly's ambition is to connect the platform to multiple other NFT marketplaces, enabling people to interact with all their digital assets in augmented reality. The team is also due to launch WebAR functionality in the coming months to empower markerless object visualization. "At the end of the day, NFTs and augmented reality are both about establishing and providing a sense of ownership of digital assets. While NFTs provide a smart contract that connects a digital piece to its physical counterpart—AR lets people have a fully immersive experience with something they own," adds Zvejnieks.

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Elīna Karole

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Note to the editor:

Founded in 2014, Overly became the first agency in the Baltic States that focuses on augmented reality (AR) technologies and the development of AR solutions. The company has since been named one of top 100 changemakers in Central and Eastern Europe by the world's leading global business publication, Financial Times.

Its core product, a marker-based AR scanning app, has helped global brands engage worldwide audiences. Leading retailers, including Philips and Topshop, have used Overly to transform shopping journeys, while editors of global magazines, including National Geographic and Cosmopolitan have added new dimensions to their print publications. In the world of entertainment, the app was used by Warner Bros to promote an upcoming concert of a global superstar.

Most recently, Overly made augmented reality creation more inclusive by introducing a self-service AR building tool. The SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform empowers anyone, from householders to big brands, to create DIY AR content—no coding skills required. Overly’s capabilities democratize AR creation (it's like Canva for AR) and will be integral to Metaverse and its mixed reality future. For more information, visit www.overlyapp.com