Among all augmented reality platforms, ARKit stands above the rest in popularity and performance. Apple’s tight-knit ecosystem, standardized hardware, and high performance of ARKit for augmented reality applications make it highly desirable for AR developers. Choosing to make an app with the native iOS framework unlocks the potential for more advanced AR products and MobiDev experts explain how.

The most important aspect of ARKit is that it is the only framework that unlocks the full potential of iPhone and iPad hardware for augmented reality experiences. Some of the greatest features that ARKit has to offer are object and scene recognition, meshing, geographic tracking, face tracking, and more.

Augmented reality experiences on iOS devices are accomplished via three steps: tracking, scene understanding, and rendering. AR applications require input from sensors like cameras, accelerometers, and gyroscopes. This data then must be processed to determine the camera’s motion in the real world. Once this is complete, 3D virtual objects can be rendered on top of the real world image and displayed to the user.

Marketing Technology News: Airbyte Bolsters Enterprise-Level Security with ISO 27001 Security Standard Certification

For most AR applications, the best environment is a well-textured and lit area. A flat surface works best for visual odometry, and a static scene for motion odometry. When the environment does not meet these conditions, ARKit provides users with information on the tracking state. The three possible states are: not available, normal, and limited.

ARKit has plenty of features beyond simply displaying objects on flat surfaces. For instance, ARKit 5 supports vertical surfaces, image recognition, and objects placed in geographic space.

Case #1 Outdoor and Indoor AR Navigation

GPS is the king of outdoor navigation. However, it suffers from decreased accuracy when indoors and when obstructed by terrain and tall buildings. However, expanding technologies like Bluetooth beacons, Wi-Fi RTT, and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) are filling the gap.

With AR indoor navigation powered by alternative positioning technologies, navigating shopping malls, convention centers, and airport terminals can become much easier. It can also be used in business contexts in stores and distribution centers to help workers find items and packages that they need.

MobiDev is an international software engineering company with offices in Poland and Ukraine. The company is focused on helping visionaries create their products. MobiDev invests into technology research and has years of experience building AI-powered solutions, implementing machine learning, augmented reality, and IoT.

Marketing Technology News: MarTech Interview with Heidi Arkinstall, CMO at G-P