Apple and Google show off rival AR tech

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Walking Dead: Our World
Photo credits: NEXT GAMES
ARCore
Photo credits: GOOGLE

 

Google has switched in its effort to popularize augmented reality (AR) on Android by moving away from a requirement for devices to be fitted with special depth sensors.

Instead, it is building software for developers to help them mix graphics with real-world views using common camera and motion-tracking hardware.

The rethink brings it in line with rival Apple's mixed-reality strategy.

By coincidence, Apple has just unveiled several in-development AR apps for iOS.

They include:

    > The Walking Dead: Our World - a zombie-themed video game in which players battle with the undead in real-world locations.
   >  Ikea Place - an app that allows the furniture store's products to be seen over views of rooms in the owner's home.
    > Giphy World Babysitter - software that superimposes a thumbs-up or "not OK" sign over food it is shown in order to let carers know if it is suitable for infants.
    > The Very Hungry Caterpillar in AR - a mixed-reality version of the children's tale that allows youngsters to see the herbivore walk around their surroundings before transforming into a butterfly and taking to the sky.

All of the third-party apps have been developed since Apple unveiled its ARKit software at its WWDC developers conference 12 weeks ago.

The products will be released to the public once Apple releases the iOS 11 version of its mobile operating system.

However, the processor demands of the software mean that users will not be able to run the AR apps on iPhone 6, iPad Air 2 or earlier products.

Although the AR-themed Pokemon Go has already proved popular on iOS, ARKit helps anchor objects to locations and makes it easier to take account of lighting conditions, among other benefits.

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