In the following, we discuss how virtual prototypes,
placed in real-world usage scenarios, enable customers to
experience innovative products via the Internet, long before
they really exist, allowing them to build sound judgments,
and come up with new ideas through a trial and error
learning. The Web, in combination with virtual reality
(VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, is the
enabler for virtual customer integration. Whereas in VR,
customers are completely immersed inside a virtual world,
AR supplements the real world with virtual, computergenerated,
objects that appear to coexist in the same space
as the real world. AR enhances a customer’s perception of
and interaction with the real world. The virtual objects
display information that the customer cannot directly
detect. The information conveyed by the virtual objects
helps a customer to perform real-world tasks. Although IT
systems are steadily increasing VR and AR capabilities,
customers’ virtual product experience is no panacea, nor
does it completely replace ‘‘real world’’ tests. Odours,
tastes, and touches cannot truly be experienced yet.