Mobile applications adapting high-end technologies are catching up at lightning speed. Currently, mobile apps are expected to offer top-notch services that engage millions of users and retain them. If you have been in the loop of what’s happening in the app development world, you must know some incredible technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and a lot more that have transformed the sphere of mobile applications.
Today, we will be focusing on augmented reality (AR) technology that has tremendously changed the shape of the mobile app world. You must have heard of several famous AR-based apps – Pokemon Go, Snapchat, Google Lens, to name a few. And Pokemon Go has indeed hooked the world with its charming and engaging features. You can attract more target users by augmented reality app development that is simply more interactive and matches their needs.
Before we learn what a location-based AR app is, let’s introduce you to AR-based applications.
What is Augmented Reality (AR)?
AR is an Advance version of the physical world designed using computer-generated virtual elements to overlay digital information on a picture of something seen through a gadget. Augmented Reality app is a mobile application that integrates media content into the app users’ physical world.
Introduction to Location-based AR
Mobile apps with the location-enabled feature is one of the best things offered by mobile app developers. Enabling users to determine the location can be super helpful as it means you can notify them based on geography, and send them timely reminders when they are close to the important places. Moreover, you can benefit from the location services to deliver a rare experience in a few ways, such as using AR based on the area to build geo-based AR applications.
By blending AR with location-enabled sensors, motion tracking, GPS, accelerometer, digital compass, etc., you can offer location-based AR. This can make it possible to place virtual objects in the physical world via a virtual environment existing on the smartphone screen. Most advanced smartphone devices have these requisite sensors, henceforth this robust tech is accessible for every smartphone owner.
How does a Geo-based AR App Work?
The working of location-based AR apps is not rocket science. An application directs queries to sensors, and when the smartphone app receives the data, it compares it with the information about POI and decides where to put the virtual data in the physical world.
There are 2 types of augmented reality mobile apps, one called markerless AR and the other one called marker-based AR. In marker AR, an application needs a stagnant image where the virtual objects are placed. Whereas markerless apps don’t need a fixed picture, they can show the virtual elements independently as the user shifts the camera.
A Guide to Create a Location-based AR Application
After understanding the fundamentals of geo-based AR applications, we will now look forward to learning how to create one such mobile app.
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Assemble Requisite Data
Firstly, you must determine what information you will include in the actual world. The quickest way is to create an app that simply exhibits text info. Creating an app with vibrant 3D objects will be challenging. You must have Unity Engine to build this sort of markerless AR app. This is a popular game engine for developing desktop and smartphone games.
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Pick a robust development tool
This is undoubtedly the most crucial step for building a geo-based AR app. Choosing the most powerful tool to create a location-enabled AR application will meet all your requirements.
Top Tools –
- Google-based ARCore tool
Mapping is the most powerful feature of this tool, which is essential to build markerless AR apps. It exposes vertical & horizontal surfaces and has a movement tracking function.
Google included Cloud Anchors in ARCore 1.2, facilitating 2 separate device spectacles and handling the same augmented reality objects from unique viewing angles.
- Apple-based AR Kit
There has always been solid competition between Google & Apple. Despite that, both are known due to their unique features. Mobile app developers can use this robust tool to build AR apps for Apple devices such as iPad and iPhone. This Kit offers a plethora of features, such as:
-Identifying nearly 100 pictures simultaneously
-Various face tracking
-Movement capture
-Quick AR
-Front & back camera at a time
-Collective sessions
-And a lot more
- Wikitude
This tool allows app developers to develop both markerless & marker-based AR apps. The primary features of these tools are as follows:
- SLAM technology
- Unity Plugin
- Geo-based support
- Scene Identification, to identify & track big objects such as buildings, landscapes, and more.
- Incorporation of several frameworks such as Cordova & Xamarine.
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Implement Location-based Data
GPS tech is one of the most popular ways to discover outdoor locations. GPS’s primary advantages are a high level of accuracy and capability to locate your position from anywhere worldwide. But, GPS also exhausts a lot of energy. To incorporate a geolocation service in your mobile application, you should leverage iOS or Android geo services.
Augmented Reality (AR) has Great Potential.
So, where does the future for AR lead us? Well, just like the sky is unlimited, AR has endless potential. The possibility for this technology has a vast scope that even extends to business, education, gaming, and a lot more. Humans are very creative and imaginative, so rendering augmented visual tech can create ample interaction.
Geo-based AR is just the starting point, but this technology has a lot of potentials that is yet to be explored. Whether you wish to build AR gaming apps or integrate geo-based AR into current mobile applications, ensure you hire a leading and experienced mobile app development company to offer an incredible experience to your potential users. A great recipe for success isn’t just a unique idea or concept behind it but also a highly knowledgeable and efficient team.
