Augmented reality is an innovative technology that has gained a lot of popularity over the last few years. Moreover, it provides an enhanced view of the real world and provides an exhilarating experience. Augmented reality is important and beneficial to all types of businesses. More importantly, the rise in its popularity is because people now recognize its practical applications in various fields like healthcare, fashion, sports, tourism, and maps, retail, eCommerce, marketing, etc.

Being the trendy topic in the market, AR attracts big brands like Facebook, Apple, Google, and other upcoming businesses. This implies that the whole market is set to grow more in 2021.

Augmented reality is a layer of extra information and artificial objects that are added to the tech-aided perception of the world. It is a mixture of the real world and virtual reality. Moreover, a device that has AR technology has software that recognizes an object or a symbol, or an image and enriches it by adding relevant content creating layered visualization while making them look real.

The range of AR apps is wide. Notably, these apps have the capacity to highlight crucial aspects, improve understands, and provide timely and accessible data. Its prime aim is to add artificial objects to reality and offer a better experience.

Forms of Augmented Reality

Before you start working on an AR app, ask yourself, which type of application do you want to create? Is it the marker-based app or a location app? Let us learn the difference between the two.

Location-based applications- These forms of applications don’t rely on markers. They use GPS, a digital compass, or an accelerometer to locate the user’s position. Pokemon Go is the common location-based AR app. Users get notifications based on their locality to get relevant information related to the place. For instance, such apps can suggest nearby restaurants or parking spaces.

Marker-based applications- These apps rely on images to display content. This implies that you must point the camera towards the marker’s position around you. After the app understands the tag, it shows the content. Building a marker-based app requires hard-coding the object on the app making it easy for it to recognize it.

As a developer, the first step is to define the type of Augmented Reality app you want to build.

Here are some important decisions you need to take if you want to Create An Augmented Reality App.

Choosing an Augmented Reality SDK’s

After you define the type of AR reality you want to develop, you must be sure of the tools you will use. Therefore, you have to select the tools relevant to the nature of your app. Therefore, consider the following aspects when choosing the SDKs to use.

Platforms:

Supposed you want to create an app for Android or iOS, you won’t experience difficulties because most toolkits support all the platforms. Moreover, the options are limited for macOS and Windows. However, it is a smart move to choose platforms that offer more variety.

Cost:

As a developer, you must consider the cost of the Augmented Reality SDK. For instance, if you are a beginner then it is better to go for an open-source AR SDK. It provides support and it has the support of an active community. Moreover, it is also the most affordable option as it is free. As the app develops you can switch to paid SDKs for better features but a free one is enough to get started. Additionally, paid plans vary according to the developer’s needs. If you are an expert already, go for the plan that will enable you to execute all the functions you want to achieve.

Check: Mobile app development cost in India

Compatibility with unity:

Unity is the most popular and commonly used game engine so the app you are creating should have Unity support. Although it is used explicitly for computer games, developers can use it to create AR apps. Whether you are creating an AR app or a game, use Unity so that there is no compatibility issue moving forward. The purpose of unity support is to help developers implement new techniques in the development processes.

Image recognition

When creating an AR app, an image recognition feature is a must-have. The feature allows the app to identify objects, images, and places.

3D recognition and tracking

With an AR app, the 3D recognition feature is a must-have because of tracking the app. The tracking enables the app to understand large areas when a user is inside large buildings like malls and airports. This technology is commonly applicable to e-commerce and mobile games.

Other basics to look out for when developing an AR app include geolocation (GPS), cloud support & local storage, and SLAM support.

Software:

There are several software options you can use to create an augmented reality app. Here is a list of the most common ones you can choose from.

• ARToolKit
• Vuforia
• Apple ARKit
• Wikitude
• Google ARCore
• Maxst

Vuforia is a common and popular choice.

Steps to creating an AR app:

• The first step is to set up Vuforia
• Feed or upload a database containing objects or characteristics onto the project. It is pretty extensive so you need to download the unity package or Database
• Set a target so that the app has something to compare with its database and successfully identify objects
• Make a list of the features of the target image
• Go to Unity and start a new project
• Choose an appropriate template and select a storage location
• Go to the XR settings tab and choose the Vuforia AR option
• Select Vuforia AR camera which is an appropriate camera option for accepting live feed
• Open the Unity project and add a database marker
• Take care of the required configuration
• Use the license key and check the database to make sure that it is properly loaded
• Test the functionality of the app by opening and running the camera
• Choose a target image to set up and add a little bit of AR around the chosen marker
• Create a layout of the augmented reality that you want to create by adding different objects
• The final step is to run the application by opening the camera
• If it runs smoothly you will have your augmented reality app

Conclusion:

Augmented reality tools are gaining more and more popularity with time. These apps are not limited to just one industry. They have become a part of almost every industry as they assist businesses in providing better and more memorable customer service. Creating an AR app from the scratch is challenging but also worth the effort as it is a promising venture.

To keep up with the competition it is important to stay up-to-date and reap the benefits AR has to offer. Use your imagination and you will be able to find ways to incorporate AR in your business and reap its benefits.

Also check: Currency Convertor App | Location-Based App Development

Ultimately,  Any queries about augmented reality app development then feel free to contact Aalpha.