14 DAY TRIAL // Apple unannounced anniversary iPhone 8 is expected to come with new AR features that would expand the way people use their smartphones in the real world. A patent application reveals some of the ideas that Apple is exploring for its AR solution.
The patent application, published by the US Patent and Trademark Office and retrieved by AppleInsider, reveals Apple’s idea of moving and removing virtual objects, with the use of advanced hardware and complex algorithms.
Apple’s patent application reveals several ways in which a device, possibly a smartphone, can accurately represent a digital object in a real environment. The technique would allow computer-generated objects to be merged with images of the real world, provided that Apple will decide to actually develop it and not leave it at the stage of a patent application, as it happens with some ideas.
Apple’s method requires HD cameras and powerful processors
The technique could prove quite useful for users who wish to virtually add an object in a room or onto a live video feed. To do so, the device would require high-definition cameras and a complex onboard processor, so that it can run software algorithms and solve any geometry problems or perspective issues that could occur. Moreover, the device would have to be able to perform advanced positioning processes and feature complex location hardware.
The device’s camera would also need the capacity to capture two-dimensional images of a real environment and determine its position relative to at least one object. Afterward, three-dimensional image details and spatial information would have to be gathered, in order to determine the position of the floor, walls and surrounding objects. Google’s Tango project, featured on Asus Zenfone AR, features a similar AR technique, while making use of powerful components inside the smartphone.
Apple is known to have started working on a number of AR features for the next iPhone and other devices as well, and the September launch will surely shed light on the company’s progress with this technology.