Ask anyone in the Roto (rotating photo) technology industry to describe Roto technology, and you’ll find that they use ambiguous terms such as 3D scanning, virtual reality, or augmented reality to explain it.

Trust me, we’ve done it too! As I’m sure you’ve experienced, when working with new technology, sometimes the words we’re searching for still have to be invented.

However, for Roto technology, it’s time for it to step out of the VR/AR/3D scanning shadows and into its own emerging tech spotlight.

As we just so happen to be in Chicago showing at IRCE 2015 (booth #1842 “hint, hint, plug, plug”), I thought what better opportunity to address three common misconceptions we often encounter when explaining Roto technology.

1.Can’t I achieve the same results with a .gif or more images?

It all boils down to active value vs passive value. Images and .gifs fall into the passive value category. Sure, they provide shoppers with information about the product, but the shopper remains an observer and can easily feel disengaged by the experience.

Rotos, on the other hand, fit into the active value category. Because Rotos require shoppers to actively participate in their education of a product, they become activated and engaged in the experience.

Moreover, the sense of playfulness that shoppers experience while interacting with Rotos increases their likelihood of returning to your website (Overmars & Poels, 2015, p. 252).

2.If those are all .jpegs … the file size must be HUGE!

In the spirit of transparency, let me walk you through the process of creating a Roto:

On average, we create our Rotos using the PhotoTable Transparent. This RotoStudio automatically captures the product in a preset sequence, and exports the shadowless .jpegs into our integrated software.

Once in the software, we can de-wobble the object, crop the image, adjust color, sharpness, customize the skin, add smart hotspots, and so on and so forth. Ultimately, all of our requirements are outputted as an .html file along with a few javascript files and an .xml file. The original images are never uploaded to the server. Instead they are sliced, chopped and served up uber compressed in a nice little folder alongside our other files.

When a visitor lands on your site and clicks on one of your Rotos, they are interacting with the .html file (roughly 1–6 KB in size). The .html file only loads content as needed, thus preventing your user from ever having to wait.

3.What’s the point? The in-store experience will always win.

In our last blog “Virtual product experience: why indirect product experiences are archaic”, I ran through a few comparisons between shopping in real-life and shopping via Rotos. What it comes down to is interactive, emotionally stimulating content.

At this point in time, we’re all quite focused on bringing touch to the digital world. But maybe it’s not necessary? Check out these two Rotos:

Jacket Roto

Clothing Roto

A recent 2015 study showed that when interacting with a Roto, shoppers “created their own mental imagery that enriched their sensory information and made products appear extra attractive in fast fashion online stores” (Overmars & Poels, 2015, p. 252).

This mental imagery made it easier for shoppers to move past the lack of physical interaction with the product, and feel as though the Roto provided a valuable experience.

Thanks for reading! And, as always, we love hearing from you, so keep it coming ☺