Google Inches Every Browser Toward Universal Augmented Reality
In a Jan. 22 blog post, Google developers were privy to the first look at Article, the 3D model viewer for all browsers. What they do not include is that SketchFab, the 3D model hosting community website, announced an AR viewer for iOS devices in September 2017 and followed up with a version for Android users two months later. This highlights a distinct advantage that small startups have over tech giants like Apple and Google: they can be agnostic and universal.
How Article Works
First you load Article on an AR-capable device and browser. Then, looking down and to the right, you’ll see an AR button. When you tap it, it turns on the devices camera and renders a little reticle. Then if you tap the screen, the reticle grows from the ground into a 3D model. You can then move around it and get a sense of its scale as though it were a physical object.
The AR interface, or diagetic UI, is programmed to give users cues. For example,when a user waits for Article to find a real surface represented by the camera, a little circle appears on whichever surface it picks. The circle then tilts and moves with the movement of the device.
See the full story here: https://www.engineering.com/ARVR/ArticleID/16372/Google-Inches-Every-Browser-Toward-Universal-Augmented-Reality.aspx