ARCore

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]

ARCore

Developer(s)	Google
Initial release	February 23, 2018; 7 years ago (2018-02-23)
Stable release	1.45.2420502[1] / August 14, 2024; 8 months ago (2024-08-14)
Operating system	Android
Platform	Android 7.0 and later
Website	developers.google.com/ar/

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.

See also

• ARKit – Augmented reality API for Apple platforms
• OpenXR – Standard for access to virtual reality and augmented reality platforms and devices