ARCore/Google's new Augmented Reality for Android

[sesevans]

Hope others agree that this is an exciting area that should please millions of Android users soon and warrants a new thread. For the devs on Overclockers I wonder if you are excited about the prospect of working with ARCore?

And for users, are you excited about Augmented Reality? It can be powerful for so many uses, including education, gaming and practical uses--ie putting augmented reality into your "real reality". Practical: how would this new sofa look like in my living room?

ARCore will run with all Android phones running Android 7.0 or higher, meaning a hundred million devices starting soon. I expect this will replace Tango. From Google's blog post on ARCore's SDK capabilities:

"ARCore works with Java/OpenGL, Unity, and Unreal and focuses on three things:

• Motion tracking: Using the phone’s camera to observe feature points in the room and IMU sensor data, ARCore determines both the position and orientation (pose) of the phone as it moves. Virtual objects remain accurately placed.
• Environmental understanding: It is common for AR objects to be placed on a floor or a table. ARCore can detect horizontal surfaces using the same feature points it uses for motion tracking.
• Light estimation: ARCore observes the ambient light in the environment and makes it possible for developers to light virtual objects in ways that match their surroundings, making their appearance even more realistic.

A couple of videos:

 

[sesevans]

It is a fascinating technology.

Google have a terrible habbit of releasing tech and abandoning it very soon after, so although the tech has great promise it often never gets to be refined to a quality state. Often the key parts of the tech are locked down or kept behind unobtainable licensing/IP. This has led to the ruin of quite a few companies that took the risk in developing for such platforms. I guess it's parts of business and life's risks.

Earlier this year google were hailing their own project Tango as a great AR solution. - Abandoned.
Previously google were hailing the google glass as a great AR solution. - Abandoned.

I do wonder if ARCore will get long term support or if it is just a tech demo and googles teams have already moved onto the next thing.

One thing I can guarantee - for the best experience. - Pixel 2. And there was me hoping avoid the need to upgrade my phone this year...

Agree with your sentiments that Google often times releases tech and abandons it.

I recall that Tango was a bit of an experimental project from the start......from the ATAP Group (originally part of the Motorola acquisition but always fringe), rather than from the Android Group which benefits from its proven track record with OEMs, Google Play Store, etc. However I believe the early work of Tango contributes to the likelihood that ARCore is a keeper.

And competitive pressure from Apple's (ARKit) Artificial Reality iPhone software also makes me think that ARCore has the full weight of support from the Android Group. Clearly the developer response will be a key early indicator too.

 

[sesevans]

It is a fascinating technology.

Google have a terrible habbit of releasing tech and abandoning it very soon after, so although the tech has great promise it often never gets to be refined to a quality state. Often the key parts of the tech are locked down or kept behind unobtainable licensing/IP. This has led to the ruin of quite a few companies that took the risk in developing for such platforms. I guess it's parts of business and life's risks.

Earlier this year google were hailing their own project Tango as a great AR solution. - Abandoned.
Previously google were hailing the google glass as a great AR solution. - Abandoned.

I do wonder if ARCore will get long term support or if it is just a tech demo and googles teams have already moved onto the next thing.

One thing I can guarantee - for the best experience. - Pixel 2. And there was me hoping avoid the need to upgrade my phone this year...

I am sure you will find this article interesting today in Medium from Matt Miesnieks about ARCore and ARKit. It will also correct an assumption you made about Google's Project Tango. It seems as if it is not abandoned but instead, it can be said that ARCore is really "Tango Lite"(ie, without the depth camera). And hence it means that because Tango software is very mature, has Daydream content and has been extensively tested over 2 years, it stacks up quite well against ARKit from Apple.

So it seems Google will introduce ARCore into both the Pixel phones and the Samsung S8 at the start. The article says that Google has been working with Samsung engineers to support sensor calibration. Other OEM flagship phones should follow. And very important, more tightly integrated sensor calibration and calibration at multiple temperature ranges will likely soon be done at the factory level.

Will AR be the next platform?

https://medium.com/super-ventures-blog/how-is-arcore-better-than-arkit-5223e6b3e79d