Developing AR apps

Abstract

The latest technology craze on mobile devices, augmented reality (AR) has been around for many years, predating the era of the smartphone. AR aims to supplement information in layers on top of an actual image, as seen through a mobile device's camera. The resultant image can then be displayed on screen. All of this has been made possible thanks to a number of technologies that are now found on smartphones and tablet devices. These include sensors such as accelerometers and GPS, large clear displays with multitouch capabilities, faster processors and graphic processor units (GPUs), and high Internet speeds. These technologies were not specifically designed with AR in mind. Therefore, the concept will present challenges for any app developers working to create useful software that can truly be described as augmented reality. Over the past few years a number of AR apps have been made available for Android and iOS devices. Many of these are primarily marketing-related and AR is seen as an ideal platform. If you want to find the location of the nearest ATM machine, bank or restaurant, for example, then AR can offer a fun and practical way of finding them. GPS-based applications take advantage of the Global Positioning System (GPS) tools already found in your smartphone.