The development from AR to WebAR
Bitforge developed augmented reality apps ten years ago. Since then, the technology has made great progress and AR has become part of our everyday lives. This is mainly due to the fact that the application possibilities are no longer limited to apps that we have to download and install from the respective stores. AR functions can now be used directly from the browser, which expands the field of application accordingly and drastically reduces the financial outlay for companies: so-called WebAR. But let’s start from the beginning.
No AR without an app
Augmented reality functions are complex. They are based on algorithms that process sensor data in real time and prepare it for use in AR applications. A browser usually does not have the same performance as a native app and the possibilities for an application via a browser were therefore limited for a long time. The first applications – including those from Bitforge – therefore also ran via apps, such as Atelier Pfister, which allowed users to place 3D furniture and furnishings in their own homes. That was ten years ago!
With the Atelier Pfister app, we developed an AR app that did not yet exist in Switzerland. It allowed the furniture retailer’s products to be placed in augmented reality within your own four walls.
No AR without a marker
Later, it was possible to use augmented reality in the browser, but even then the options were still very limited. Using so-called “markers”, users could use the camera function on their smartphone to display AR objects or start mini-games. However, this was always linked to a physical object. A QR code, a map or a correspondingly configured object. We have also witnessed this development. One example of this is the ok.goal project.
With ok.goal, the QR code on the beverage can serves as a marker to start the AR game. Image: Bitforge AG
Advantages for customers through AR
More complex AR applications on the web were still wishful thinking. Until the company 8thwall developed an algorithm to port AR to the web and thus also functionalities that were previously reserved for AR in apps. 8thwall then established itself as the industry leader in the field of web AR and for a long time it was almost impossible to avoid if you wanted to implement an AR project on the web yourself. Mobility Car Sharing is one of 8thwall’s customers and recently published an app based on its platform.
AR for all
We also recently launched our own web-based AR platform, Yago . This makes it easy to integrate 3D models into any online store and place them in your own home using your smartphone.
And the next step in the development of AR (and also Yago) is already in the starting blocks with WebXR. WebXR is an open interface and has been standardized by the W3 consortium – it is free and accessible to all. The API is intended not only for augmented but also for virtual reality, making it an ideal gateway for the future of the metaverse on the web. However, it only works on Android, but it is rumored that the functionalities will also be available for Apple devices from the new iOS upgrade.
If you have an Android device, you can already try out the possibilities WebXR offers in terms of AR in our WebXR demo. One example: WebXR makes it possible to position several AR objects in a room at the same time. You can also develop interactive AR applications that are not yet possible.
The models in the pastZurich app would no longer be suitable for the web due to their size and quantity. An app is still required here. Image: Bitforge AG
The advantages of WebAR
WebAR’s web application still lags behind that of an app and is not yet at the same level as a native app experience. If you have high expectations of the rendering of 3D objects or require specific and extensive functionalities, you are still better off with a native app. But WebAR has advantages. These include the integration of existing customer processes, for example for online stores. Direct integration eliminates the need to maintain an app – one of the biggest cost drivers.
The barriers to use are also lower for customers than when downloading an app from a store. More and more people appreciate being able to do as much as possible directly in their browser. One example is the QR code: While an app used to be required to read QR codes, the function is now integrated into every cell phone camera and has given the almost-dead QR codes a sudden new lease of life – and are now also a central component of
