ARCore: Augmented Reality on Android

    More than two billion devices run on Android, the largest mobile platform in the world. Over the past nine years, we have been working to create a wide range of tools, frameworks and APIs, thanks to which developers' products become available to everyone. Today we are launching a preview version of the new SDK (software development kit) - ARCore. This will enable the application of augmented reality technology on existing and new Android devices. Developers can start experimenting with ARCore now.



    Over the past three years, we have been working on technologies that contribute to the development of augmented reality on mobile devices using the Tango platform. She became the basis for creating ARCore. Due to the fact that this SDK does not require additional equipment, it can be used on various Android devices. We plan to launch ARCore on millions of devices. Starting today, it will be available on Pixel and Samsung S8, running on Android 7.0 and later. By the end of the test period, we expect ARCore to work on 100 million devices. In order for it to work efficiently and bring good results, we work with Samsung, Huawei, LG, ASUS and other companies.

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    ARCore runs on Java / OpenGL, Unity and Unreal and focuses on the following areas:

    • Motion tracking. Using the phone’s camera to track reference points in the room (these points determine where the virtual object will be located) and the gyro data, ARCore determines the position and orientation of the device during movement. At the same time, virtual objects remain exactly where you located them.
    • Environmental recognition. Usually objects of augmented reality are placed on the floor or table. ARCore can recognize horizontal surfaces using the same reference points as when tracking movement.
    • Lighting rating. ARCore determines the level of ambient light and enables developers to illuminate virtual objects in accordance with the environment around them. Thanks to this, they look even more realistic.

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    Along with ARCore, we are developing other applications and services that will help developers create great solutions in the field of augmented reality. We launched Blocks and Tilt Brush projects so that everyone can easily create good 3D content for their AR applications. At the Google I / O ConferenceWe have announced that we are working on a Visual Positioning Service. It will allow to bring the application of augmented reality technology in the world beyond the computer. We also believe that the Internet will play a key role in the development of augmented reality. Therefore, we launch prototype browsers for web developers so that they too can begin to experiment with this technology. Specialized browsers allow you to create sites with support for augmented reality for Android / ARCore and iOS / ARKit.

    ARCore is our next step towards making augmented reality available to everyone. This is not the latest innovation this year. Share your opinion with us on GitHub . Check out the new AR Experiments section.where you will find many interesting examples of the application of augmented reality. Tell us about your work on social networks by adding the hashtag #ARCore. We will definitely share those projects that we like the most.

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