ARCore, also known as Google Play Services for AR, is a

software development kit A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of software development tools in one installable package. They facilitate the creation of applications by having a compiler, debugger and sometimes a software framework. They are normally specific t ...

developed by

Google Google LLC (, ) is an American multinational corporation and technology company focusing on online advertising, search engine technology, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and artificial ...

that allows for

augmented reality Augmented reality (AR), also known as mixed reality (MR), is a technology that overlays real-time 3D computer graphics, 3D-rendered computer graphics onto a portion of the real world through a display, such as a handheld device or head-mounted ...

(AR) applications to be built. ARCore has been integrated into a multitude of devices.

Key technologies

ARCore uses a few key technologies to integrate virtual content with the real world as seen through the camera of a smartphone or tablet. Each of these technologies can be utilized by developers to create a high-quality, immersive AR experience.

Six degrees of freedom

* Allows the phone to understand and track its position relative to the world. * A

motion tracking Motion tracking may refer to: * Motion capture, the process of recording the movement of objects or people * Match moving, a cinematic technique that allows the insertion of computer graphics into live-action footage with correct position, scale, o ...

process known as

simultaneous localization and mapping Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is the computational problem of constructing or updating a map of an unknown environment while simultaneously keeping track of an Intelligent agent, agent's location within it. While this initially ap ...

(SLAM) utilizes feature points - which are visually distinct objects within camera view - to provide focal points for the phone to determine proper positioning (pose) of the device.

Environmental understanding

* Allows the phone to detect the size and location of flat surfaces - both vertical and horizontal - with feature points. * Geometric plane can be calculated based on detected feature points. * A scene semantics

API An application programming interface (API) is a connection between computers or between computer programs. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how to build ...

is used to gather real-time

semantic Semantics is the study of linguistic Meaning (philosophy), meaning. It examines what meaning is, how words get their meaning, and how the meaning of a complex expression depends on its parts. Part of this process involves the distinction betwee ...

data about the user's surroundings and uses that data to identify objects and features in view.

Light estimation

* Lighting Estimation API allows the phone to estimate the environment's current lighting conditions and display images accurately in relation to real-world lighting. ** Lighting cues such as shadows and highlights are used to more immersively display virtual objects.

Depth analysis

* Utilizes the phone's camera to create depth maps, which enable the device to more accurately determine the amount of space between surfaces based on what is captured. ** In order to properly assess the real world, depth maps are created to measure the amount of space between objects or surfaces. ** A depth-from-motion algorithm takes the motion data from the user's camera and utilizes it to create a more detailed depth map.

Geospatial capabilities

* This function's API uses

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide geol ...

and allows creators to give users unique experiences based on their real-world location. ** Google's visual positioning system (VPS) is utilized for this process. * Matches the user's visual data with that of

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panorama, interactive panoramic views of streets (Google Street View, Street View ...

to determine precise location.

References

External links

* {{Mixed reality Google software Software development kits Computer-related introductions in 2018 3D imaging Augmented reality