Vuforia is an
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
software development kit (SDK) for mobile devices that enables the creation of augmented reality applications. It uses computer vision technology to recognize and track planar images and 3D objects in real time. This image registration capability enables developers to position and orient
virtual objects, such as
3D models
In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical coordinate-based representation of any surface of an object (inanimate or living) in three dimensions via specialized software by manipulating edges, vertices, an ...
and other media, in relation to real world objects when they are viewed through the camera of a mobile device. The virtual object then tracks the position and orientation of the image in real-time so that the viewer's
perspective on the object corresponds with the perspective on the target. It thus appears that the virtual object is a part of the real-world scene.
The Vuforia SDK supports a variety of 2D and 3D target types including ‘markerless’ Image Targets, 3D Model Target, and a form of addressable Fiducial Marker, known as a VuMark. Additional features of the SDK include 6 degrees of freedom device localization in space, localized Occlusion Detection using ‘Virtual Buttons’, runtime image target selection, and the ability to create and reconfigure target sets programmatically at
runtime.
Vuforia provides
Application Programming Interface
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how t ...
s (API) in
C++,
Java,
Objective-C++, and the
.NET languages through an extension to the
Unity game engine
Unity is a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies, first announced and released in June 2005 at Apple Worldwide Developers Conference as a Mac OS X game engine. The engine has since been gradually extended to support a va ...
. In this way, the SDK supports both native development for iOS, Android, and UWP while it also enables the development of AR applications in Unity that are easily portable to both platforms.
Vuforia has been acquired by
PTC Inc. in November 2015.
References
Augmented reality applications
Software development kits
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