14 DAY TRIAL // Layar announced on Tuesday that it made new enhancements to its augmented reality browser through the addition of 3D capabilities to the platform. According to the company, the new 3D features will enable developers to place 3D text when tagging real-life objects, as well as 3D objects in real-world space, while also offering them the possibility to create a multi-sensory experience. Developers of solutions for mobile devices will now have the opportunity to create augmented reality experiences that are more realistic and immersive.
At the same time, the company also announced that it planned on demonstrating the Layar 3D experience at the Picnic Conference in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from September 23-25. It already came up with a demo of the application, so as to show what 3D on its platform was all about. According to Layar, those who will search “Picnic” in the Android Market will be able to download the solution on their Android-based handsets so as to view “a virtual exhibition that delivers a multi-sensory experience of reality, augmented by 3D.”
“They will experience the flyby of a jumbojet, a rocket launch, and be in the middle of an arcade game - all including sound. Conference buildings are tagged with 3D texts and on the lawn several 3D objects are placed such as windmills and 3D 'experience domes'. Videos and images of the demo are available here,” the company explains.
What the new application is all about includes the use of a few features of the mobile phone, including its accelerometer, GPS and compass, as well as OpenGL. According to the company, this enables developers to place different objects in content based on coordinates, and they can also optimize the object to fit in size and orientation. At the same time, objects can have an action attached to them, such as open link or play music.
Raimo van der Klein, CEO of Layar commented: “We are very excited to announce this groundbreaking addition to the platform. Augmented Reality is an experience medium, not just a tool or a substitute for maps. With 3D we deliver these experiences. The platform currently facilitates over 500 developers who from November onwards will have endless possibilities to create rich 3D multi-sensory Augmented Reality experiences.”
Layar Reality Browser for Android is set to reach version 3.0 in November, and the 3D capabilities of the platform will become available for the public starting with that time. In addition, the company also stated that it planned on updating its API to support 3D objects both for existing layers and for new ones.