The future of augmented reality apps

Augmented reality (AR) combines the digital and real worlds. Put simply, AR can be used to anchor virtual information to physical objects. For example, a virtual 3D model of a chair can be placed at the dining table in the dining room at home. With a simple click on the chair, all the necessary information about the purchase appears – digitally and in 3D in the real world. There are different approaches to developing an app that makes this possible. With the introduction of AR Kit and AR Core, Apple and Google have launched two different toolkits for the creation of augmented reality apps. They provide us with the basis for placing digital content in the real world – so-called “surface tracking”. For some time now, however, we have increasingly been asked by our customers whether they still need a separate app to give their target group access to augmented reality. This is because the use of apps for displaying AR content is not easily accessible for many people. The installation of an additional app (often two in the case of Android) is often a hurdle for the user. No wonder, as there are now over 2 million apps in the App Store. The competition is fierce. There is therefore an increasing need for “appless” AR applications. This refers to solutions with which the user can consume augmented reality content via the pre-installed browser app or even via the operating system alone. We will show you what is already possible today, what advantages and disadvantages the different solutions offer and what is meant by the introduction of the latest data format for AR “USDZ” from Apple.

Augmented reality will soon fundamentally change the business world, as it enables a new and more efficient exchange of information. For example, customers can use AR apps to virtually place furniture in a room, check whether the coffee machine they want fits on their kitchen counter or view cars in real size before considering a purchase. And all with minimal effort. The technology required for this has developed rapidly in recent times and not a day goes by without a new AR app being added to the store or a new AR device coming onto the market. We too have already developed corresponding apps. The droppar.io app allows 3D models to be brought virtually into the real world. A user can upload a 3D model directly from their PC to droppar.io and then download it back to an AR-enabled mobile device. The virtual 3D object can be opened on the mobile device and viewed in the real world. This enables a quick exchange of virtual objects between people and different devices – a kind of teleportation. Droppar uses the Apple AR Kit to anchor objects very precisely in the physical world or to place them in real dimensions. The use of apps for AR enables stable tracking so that 3D models can be displayed in high resolution without flickering. The known disadvantage of this approach is its poor accessibility, i.e. the user must first download an app.

Instead of using a separate app for augmented reality, it is now also possible to display AR elements directly in the pre-installed browser app. With the help of WebXR (extended Reality on the Web), you do not need a separate app to place virtual 3D objects in the real environment, but can quickly and easily display AR elements directly in the pre-installed browser. WebXR aims to expand the number of platforms and devices that can display AR and VR content. For example, the camera on most cell phones can be used to overlay information on physical reality. There are already some powerful use cases that display augmented reality objects directly via a web browser. For example, online shopping can become a real experience. The desired product can be placed directly at the target location at home and viewed in its full version. WebXR offers many advantages, but is still at an early stage of development. The problem is that the display of the AR elements is not as stable as when the AR elements are displayed in an OS-specific mobile app. The reason for this is that a mobile app can read the sensors of the mobile device more accurately compared to the browser and can therefore display the AR elements more precisely.

Apple wants to go one step further in the near future. With a specially developed 3D data format called USDZ (Universal Scene Description file), AR applications should be possible without a separate app. Apple is once again demonstrating its commitment and investment to be at the forefront of augmented reality. Apple is also creating access to the mass market for AR. Thanks to the new Universal Scene Description file format, or USDZ for short, sharing AR files will be much easier. iOS 12 users will be able to place predefined 3D augmented reality objects in the real environment and then share them with other users via the Files app, Safari, e-mail or Messages. This new file format is an AR Quicklook, so to speak, which was developed for mobile augmented reality experiences in the iOS world.

Many of the hurdles of an AR application, such as the installation of an additional app, are thus completely eliminated. Online content can thus become more interactive. USDZ has great potential because it is a license-free open-source format and is already supported by various well-known companies such as Adobe and Autodesk. With the introduction of USDZ at Adobe, it will be possible to design images, videos or other objects in the Adobe Creative Cloud and then export them directly into the augmented reality environment. It is hoped that Android will adapt the standard set by Apple in order to promote an operating system-independent standard.

The use of apps for displaying or sharing augmented reality objects is currently the most stable and high-performance solution. AR objects can be displayed in high resolution and placed in the real measurement size. Using WebXR, AR elements can be displayed directly in the browser without the need for an extra app. The major disadvantage is that a browser app cannot access the functions of a device’s operating system as extensively as an app. As a result, AR objects are currently not displayed with the same precision via a browser as with an app. With the new USDZ file format from Apple, AR elements can be displayed very precisely without an app. In contrast to WebXR, Apple’s AR Quicklook with the USDZ standard has direct access to the operating system, as it is an integrated app in the browser. However, no interaction is currently possible with USDZ, i.e. users cannot change the color of an object, for example, but can only place it. Whether an extra app is actually required for the display of augmented reality elements depends on the use case, i.e. how precise the display should be and which operating system should be used to display the 3D object. For the time being, we recommend waiting with WebXR solutions until browser standards have been defined and operating systems can be accessed more extensively. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are also happy to help you convert 3D models to the USDZ standard.