Google shows how its ARCore will take on Apple’s ARKit

ARCore is Google's project to bring augmented reality (AR) to mobile devices.

Just a few years ago, VR and AR were something that belonged in sci-fi flicks and were considered too futuristic. Today, AR or augmented reality is turning out to be the next major area of competition when it comes to smartphones. Google, which only recently announced its first toolkit for developers – called ARCore – has now given us a closer look at what it can actually do. Interestingly, the announcement comes on the eve of Apple’s iPhone 8, iPhone X launch, and the impending release of iOS 11.

Google published six prototypes that the Daydream Labs has been working on. It shows how AR in mobile Android devices will give users a whole new way to interact with the world around them. To begin with, Google has built a prototype that lets you zoom into The British Museum and see Street View panoramas from the front of Great Russell Street. The second GIF is one of the most common uses of AR we have seen. Google shows how its ARCore tool can help people see an under construction site transform into a finished product.

The third GIF shows how Daydream Labs is experimenting with an augmented reality version of their VR Espresso Trainer app. This project surely seems to be the most interesting of all. It shows how the tool can help you operate the Expresso machine from the scratch. Google is also exploring how in Street View, instead of clicking on arrows, users can simply walk around in the real world to shift their position in virtual space.

Next, there’s a demonstration of putting AR content which floats in front of the user, and controlling the depth-of-field and desaturation of the camera feed based on the user motion. Google says that “the experiment allows digital assets to “pop,” directing people’s attention there and encouraging them to explore and interact. The Daydream Labs made use of Google’s Visual Positioning Service (VPS) beta and is also working on a prototype where one user can share their location with a friend, and the friend can then guide them using VPS.

You can take a look at all the ARCore here.

Google announced the ARCore with an aim of bringing AR to Android smartphones. Launched in August, Google says that the technology will be first available on the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Google’s own Pixel phones. The company’s initial aim is to reach at least 100 million users. However, the company has not yet announced a final date for its wider release. 

In comparison, Apple announced a similar technology based on AR called ARKit at its WWDC event in June. The toolkit will be available this fall for developers to explore and build interactive apps or experiences for users. Apple is hosting its iPhone X or iPhone 8 event tonight at 10:30PM (IST) and we might see a mention or two around its progress with the ARKit as well.

{BGR}