Have you ever wondered what a grand piano would look like in your front room? Are you unsure whether you have the space for a piano? Well, Yamaha has unveiled Piano AR, a free web-based solution that helps answer those questions.
Grand pianos are big things — they can dominate a room. So it would be great to see how a piano would fit in your home before going ahead and ordering one. Various manufacturers have produced floor pattern templates to show the space a piano would occupy. But these are two-dimensional plans showing a piano’s footprint, and don’t take into account the piano’s height.
Yamaha’s Piano AR relies on augmented reality technology. And it is extremely simple and satisfying to use.
You will need a smartphone or tablet running the latest versions of iOS, iPadOS or Android, and one of the following browsers: Safari, Chrome, Edge, Firefox. A good wi-fi signal is recommended.
How it works.
- Using your mobile device’s browser, go to Yamaha.io/PianoAR
- Scroll down and hit the “View in your room” button for the Yamaha piano you want to visualise [1] (supported models are listed below)
- The selected piano will appear on your screen with a grey background
- Tap the cube shaped AR icon in the bottom right hand corner and wait a few seconds [2]
- You will be told to point your phone’s camera where you want to position the piano, and to move the phone around, scanning the area
- After a while the piano will appear, and you can drag it to precisely the desired location and orientation [3].
With the piano in position, move around and see it from various angles and distances. The AR technology gives the impression that the piano is actually in the room, and the quality, and apparent accuracy, is extremely good (although do check out Yamaha’s disclaimer). You can even look down on the instrument from above.
If you like what you see then you can export a photo of the set-up. And those running iOS or iPadOS, can tap the piano image to trigger a sample recording of that model [3].
Yamaha claims Piano AR is “the first fully web-based AR tool for placing an acoustic piano in the home” — which is true. But Casio did come up with a similar AR product for their digital pianos back in 2020… Read more.
Obviously, the reason Yamaha developed Piano AR is to help sell pianos. And it is undoubtedly a useful aid if you are considering purchasing an instrument. But it’s also a bit of fun for anyone to try – so do give it a go.
“Previously, customers seeking large pianos were having to physically measure out a space with paper and their imagination. As the need for remote and digital shopping experiences continues, we’re excited to give customers an engaging, informative way to find the perfect fit for their space.”
Alex Rodas, Piano Marketing Manager, Yamaha Corporation of America
Supported Yamaha Pianos
Yamaha U1 PE 48″ upright piano (comp. YUS1 and b3)
Yamaha U1 PM 48″ upright piano (comp. YUS1 Mahogany)
Yamaha U3 52″ upright piano comp. (comp. YUS3)
Yamaha U3 PW 52″ upright piano (comp YUS3 White)
Yamaha YUS5 52″ upright piano
Yamaha GB1K 5′ baby grand piano
Yamaha C1X 5’3″ baby grand piano (comp. GC1)
Yamaha C2X 5’8″ baby grand piano (comp. GC2)
Yamaha C3X 6’1″ grand piano (comp. S3X)
