Apple enters the augmented reality fray with ARKit for iOS
Studied the market for AR development solutions recently. A few thoughts:- Probably using a lot of Metaio tech, a leading AR dev solutions provider Apple acquired/shuttered in May 2015- Unfortunate naming. Sounds extremely similar to ARToolkit [1], the leading open source/free AR dev solution.- Markerless is the future of AR, so good on Apple for getting this markerless tech out to compete with Google Tango and Microsoft Hololens. The status quo is currently marker-based recognition using "tags" or QR codes. It's also much harder than marker-based, or "on body" (Snapchat, Facebook AR Studio) recognition. I'd say Google Tango has some of the most impressive SDKs out there for tracking, area learning, and depth perception, but it does require specialized smartphone hardware from Lenovo or Asus, which significantly limits its utility and mkt penetration at this point. Google was just too early with Glass and got burned, but it needs a stronger hardware platform, which is something that Apple can deliver.- The Unreal-engine AR video demo was cool and the graphics seemed decent for real-time rendering on an iPad, but the real future of AR applications (read: $$$) will come from industrial applications on wearable devices or head mounted displays such as the Hololens, Vuzix, Daqri, or Epson Moverio devices. Examples of industrial/enterprise AR applications: Remote help, complex assembly, pick & pack, line monitoring, materials handling, systems training, etc. This is the market Microsoft and PTC (Vuforia, ThingWorx) are targeting, not the consumer gaming/advertising markets, which use more "basic" forms of AR. This is not to say Pokemon Go/Snapchat do not generate a lot of revenue, but it's very debatable if they can be considered true AR applications.- Other vendors in the AR development solutions space include: Aurasma (HPE), Blippar, Catchoom, EON Reality, Kudan, Pikkart, Wikitude, among others.- In conclusion, Apple is currently stuck between a rock and a hard place. It's somewhat late to market with ARKit, will have to compete with Facebook, Google, and Snapchat for consumer AR-oriented developer mindshare, and will have no play at the industrial/enterprise market if it limits its tools to development for the iOS family.- The best way for Apple to alleviate this jam is to release its own AR glasses/headset, which it is widely rumored to be developing.[1] https://artoolkit.org/