ARCore, also known as Google Play Services for AR, is a software development kit developed by Google that allows for augmented reality (AR) applications to be built. ARCore has been integrated into a multitude of devices.[2]
 | |
| Developer(s) | |
|---|---|
| Initial release | February 23, 2018 |
| Stable release | 1.42.2403605[1] / March 7, 2024 |
| Operating system | Android |
| Platform | Android 7.0 and later |
| Website | developers |
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.[3] 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 process known as simultaneous localization and mapping (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.[4]
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 is used to gather real-time semantic 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.[5]
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.[6]
- 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.[7]
Geospatial capabilities
- This function's API uses GPS and allows creators to give users unique experiences based on their real-world location.[8]
- Google's visual positioning system (VPS) is utilized for this process.
- Matches the user's visual data with that of Google Maps to determine precise location.