What is ARKit from Apple?

Augmented Reality is becoming mainstream for Camera Apps.

ARKit is an Augmented Reality SDK (software development kit) from Apple for programmers, in particular Camera App coders. The SDK is basically a framework library that helps programmers create Augmented Reality Camera Apps for IOS devices. 

ARKit uses Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO) for tracking what the camera sees.  It combines the camera sensor data with motion data. And ARKit uses scene understanding to locate horizontal planes for placement of virtual objects onto the scene.

ARKit can also estimate the amount of lighting in a scene to then adjust the brightness for virtual objects to match the scene. It's pretty slick.

This new toolkit is available for use on IOS 11 and is programmed by developers using the new Xcode 9. It's available for both the Swift and Objective-C programming languages. 

Some example Apps are already popping up in the App Store taking advantage of this new technology. A pretty good review of these first Apps can be found here on theverge.com

Many more to AR Apps will follow and we will be scouting for the best ones. 

Wikitude Augmented Browser

The Wikitude World Browser App is an augmented reality browser.  Using your smartphone’s camera the augmented browser uses over 3,500 associated content providers to give you information about where you are. For  example: landmarks, directions to the nearest ATM, suggested places to eat and hotels through Yelp and TripAdvisor.  Not sure about the bug-bug stating game included. But I like the ability to check mark and share your favorite spots via Facebook. That's cool.

Download for free:

Android      IOS 

iPhone 8 and Augmented Reality

The new iPhone 8 has wireless charging, freeing up a port for your headset. But this new phone also has a new camera with augmented reality features. Combined with the ARkit SDK and IOS 11, developers have a new toy and a new market to attack. This was predicted here on Best Camera. We can't wait to see the new augmented reality camera apps.

What coders are learning about AR

Apple intro to ARkit

iPhone X Front Camera Face Detection

So you're telling me there's a chance. The face detection has a one in a million chance of letting the wrong person into your phone. The X  has no home button, it's water proof and costs $999. One more thing:

Steve Jobs boat in Hanalei, Kauai 

Check your heart health with new Camera App

A new App from Caltech replaces urltrasound to Measure Heart Health

Can You See The Future?

Nikola Tesla Predicted Smartphones In 1926

But he did not predict this:

The future of smart phones and the path to virtual reality and artificial intelligence belongs to the mobile camera and mobile camera software.

For more than a decade, smartphones have become smaller and faster and the cameras have improved dramatically.

Best Camera makes these Big 10 predictions for the future of Smart Phones!

1. Virtual rendering for purchasing. See your purchases of large objects, such as furniture, in your own home before you buy them.

2. Owner recognition and unlocking by facial recognition.

3. Scanning of 3-D for objects for mobile ordering of 3-D printing.

4. Point and translate of printed materials from one language to another.

5. Faster duel camera rendering. The Galaxy Note 8 is paving the way already.

6. Mobile App Drone control and photography will advance in hundreds of directions.

7. Rapid scanning for nearly perfect facial recognition and ultimate security.

8. Augmented reality will bring still objects to life and lead the way to real time virtual reality.

9. 3-D hologram projections

10. Mobile Artificial Intelligence.

Now you can ride your camera

This was just too incredible not to write about. Here is a video of a man riding his drone. Now that is a basis for photography and great camera Apps.