Augmented reality still isn’t very common these but the technology is slowly being used for several purposes. It is not just for gaming. It can also be used for measuring things and more interactive experiences. Google has made AR more possible and easier to use with the developer platform we know as ARCore. We have yet to know more about it and how to build more augmented reality experiences but good thing Google developers are ever generous in sharing knowledge.
ARCore is useful and accessible. Augmented reality, just like virtual reality, makes us see and experience things differently. It has since evolved into a better platform after several updates and additions like Environmental HDR, AR selfies and animation, Shared Camera Access, and more.
The ARCore devs have started calling for more collaborators and developers who may try a new tool to improve immersion. Meet the Depth API in ARCore. This one is said to enable experiences that are more helpful, more natural, and more interactive.
This API also allows devs to use Google’s depth-from-motion algorithms. The result is a depth map from a single RGB camera that takes multiple images from different angles.
Depth API may be used for occlusion. It is defined as the “ability for digital objects to accurately appear in front of or behind real-world objects”. What happens is digital objects look more alive and seem as they are really in the scene. Check out the Scene Viewer for the occlusion as it powers AR in Search.
Depth API allows experiences where objects bounce and splash across textures and surfaces. Note that the API gets better as long as hardware also improves.
