A brainchild of the tech wizards at Google, ARCore is a little genie in your smartphone that whips out stunning augmented reality experiences, right at your command. It boasts an impressive array of APIs that enable interaction with your environment, and the party doesn’t halt at the Android doorstep; iOS users can bust a move too!
ARCore Top Features
Motion Tracking: ARCore is on its toes, keeping an eye on the position of your mobile device as it moves, building an understanding of the real world.
Environmental Understanding: Like a curious cat, ARCore explores every nook and cranny of your surroundings, building a rich canvas for AR experiences.
Light Estimation: How about some drama? ARCore estimates the ambient light in your environment, painting a brilliant AR picture that’s in tune with your world.
Feature
Details
ARCore Geospatial API
Think global, act local! It leverages Google Maps, bringing the entire world to your AR experiences.
Streetscape Geometry API
Feel like a city planner with a 3D mesh of your surroundings, within 100m radius of your location.
Scene Semantics API
This badass API uses AI to label every pixel in an outdoor scene, helping ARCore make sense of it all.
ARCore Downsides
Compatibility sneezes: Users report issues with Google Maps live view compatibility.
Unauthorized Installing: Some users find Google Apps being installed without their green light, causing a few frowns.
ARCore Pricing
What’s that sweet jingle? Ah, just the sound of your wallet singing songs of joy as ARCore is free of cost!
ARCore Use Cases
Use case 1: App Development
Are you an app developer seeking to build engaging AR experiences? ARCore has got your back with its APIs, tuned finely to the beat of the Android and iOS platforms.
Use case 2: Gamified Education
If you’re in the realm of edu-tech, ARCore can be your magic lamp, creating immersive learning modules that can whisk learners to a different world, and making education more fun than ever!
Use case 3: Real Estate
In the real estate industry, ARCore can give potential buyers a virtual walkthrough of their dream homes, making the decision-making process smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy.
ARKit
Apple’s high-tech solution to modern AR needs, ARKit, is a robust platform designed to create engaging AR experiences. Introduced in 2017 as part of iOS 11, it revolutionized the gaming world and is now steadily expanding its reach to various sectors.
ARKit Top Features
4K video capture: Highly beneficial in video editing, film production, and social media apps.
Location anchors: Expanded to new cities, improving global AR experiences.
Improved motion capture: Efficiently captures human movements in AR.
Facial expressions: Simultaneous use of front and back cameras facilitates AR interactions using facial expressions.
Scene Geometry: Offers advanced mapping of space with labels for floors, walls.
People Occlusion: Allows AR content to realistically interweave with people in the real world.
Feature
Benefit
Object capture
Facilitates realistic recreation of real-world objects for apps.
Character control capabilities
Offers immersive AR storytelling and game play.
Advanced rendering with RealityKit 2
Improves the visual quality of AR experiences.
ARKit Limitations
Requires good lighting and a flat surface for visual odometry to work effectively.
Mainly focused on the games category, limiting its versatility across different sectors.
Advanced usage relies heavily on the latest iPhone X and iPad Pro models, potentially excluding users with older devices.
ARKit Use Cases
Use case 1: Film Production
ARKit’s high-resolution image capture and 4K video recording can profoundly enhance film production processes, providing tools for incredible special effects right in your pocket.
Use case 2: Gaming
With advanced motion sensing and character control features, ARKit brings a new dimension to gaming, offering immersive experiences for iOS users worldwide.
Use case 3: Indoor Navigation
In combination with GPS and Bluetooth beacons, ARKit can significantly improve indoor navigation in shopping malls, airports, retail stores, making wayfinding easier and more interactive.
Logan Bellbrook
Content writer @ Aircada with a knack for nature & AR/VR/XR. Blogging the intersection of tech & terrain.
