Android development: Opening AR capabilities with Google ARCore
Tags: androiddev, tecktalk, appdev, augmentedreality
Published: 2017-12-14 13:41:07

---
layout: post
title: "Android development: Opening AR capabilities with Google ARCore"
published: true
tags: androiddev, tecktalk, appdev, augmentedreality 
cover_image: "https://thepracticaldev.s3.amazonaws.com/i/bntorq6nbg9m5o68ge7m.jpg"
---


Facing high interest and providing great opportunities, AR technology sees rapid development. In the blog, Android Engineering VP, Dave Burke, announced the release of </span><a href="http://www.bgr.in/news/arcore-googles-answer-to-apple-arkit-released/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">ARCore</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> which developers can start experimenting with right away. 

He further revealed that the company has been developing technologies for mobile AR over the last three years with Tango. The ARCore SDK has been built on Tango, which essentially allows it to be scaled across the Android ecosystem without the need for additional hardware.

ARCore works with Java/OpenGL, Unity and Unreal and focuses on three things, including motion tracking, environmental understanding, and light estimation. 

With compatible smartphones, the tool will enable developers to build applications which leverage the phone’s camera to observe feature points in a room and IMU sensor data to determine the position and orientation of the phone as it moves, all while ensuring virtual objects remain accurately placed.

Representing the result of Samsung and Google partnership, ARCore is the answer to Apple ARKit, announced earlier in June at their WWDC official event. 

Check out the comparison between Google ARCore and Apple ARKit in </span><a href="https://medium.com/super-ventures-blog/how-is-arcore-better-than-arkit-5223e6b3e79d"><span style="font-weight: 400;">"How is ARCore better than ARKit?"</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">

 

<h3>Google ARCore SDK tools</h3>

 
Google ARCore SDK runs on multiple devices involving Pixel, Pixel XL, Galaxy S8, and more. For now, the company plans to increase this number to 100 million devices. 

What’s more, Google is collaborating with such companies as Samsung, Huawei, LG, and Asus to bring AR to smartphones.

Besides ARCore, Google takes care of delivering special tools, simplifying custom mobile app development with AR included in the functionality. 

For example, the company has released Blocks and Tilt Brush, helping programmers easily make 3D content.

Also, Google has provided prototype browsers, allowing engineers to create AR-improved websites and web experiences, with the ability to run them on both Google ARCore (Android) and Apple ARKit (iOS). With them, web developers get the ability to easily experiment with AR technology.

The main thing about Google ARCore SDK is that it ensures motion (position) tracking, environmental understanding, and light estimation capabilities.


Get insight into </span><a href="https://smartym.pro/blog/google-arcore-revealing-new-augmented-reality-capabilities/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Google ARCore features and AR app development with ARCore.</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">