What is ARkit

Augmented reality (AR) has long captured the imagination as it promises to seamlessly connect the virtual and real worlds. However, for developers, creating AR experiences often involved specialized hardware and complex development processes. That changed with the advent of ARKit, Apple's groundbreaking framework that revolutionized AR development on iOS devices.

What is ARKit?

ARKit, introduced in 2017, is a collection of software tools designed to utilize the built-in sensors of iPhones and iPads to create immersive AR experiences. It offers developers a window into the real world through the device's camera and provides advanced features to understand and interact with the environment in real time. The key features of ARKit include:

• Motion tracking: ARKit precisely tracks the movement and orientation of the device so that virtual objects remain anchored in the real world as the user moves.
• Scene understanding: ARKit can identify flat surfaces such as floors and tables, enabling realistic placement and interaction of virtual objects in the environment.
• Light estimation: ARKit analyzes the lighting conditions in the real world in order to adjust the lighting of virtual objects and thus create a seamless connection between the virtual and real worlds.

How ARKit changed the AR development landscape

Before ARKit, building AR experiences was a challenging task that required expensive external hardware and significant expertise. ARKit changed this by providing a powerful and accessible framework for any developer with an iOS device, leading to a surge in AR app development. This is how ARKit transformed AR development:

• Lower access hurdle: ARKit eliminated the need for expensive equipment such as depth sensors (e.g. Microsoft Kinect) and custom AR platforms such as Metaio or Vuforia and made AR development accessible to a wider developer community.
• Simplified development process: ARKit provides optimized tools and APIs that allow developers to focus on creating immersive AR experiences without having to deal with low-level hardware details.
• Improved user experience: With real-time tracking and scene understanding, ARKit enables smoother and more realistic AR interactions.

Expanding the ARKit range of functions: beyond the basics

ARKit offers a robust suite of features that go beyond its basic capabilities, enabling developers to create even more innovative AR experiences. Key advanced features include:

• Recognition of people: ARKit can recognize the presence and position of people in a scene, creating AR experiences that respond to users' movements and poses. For example, virtual furniture can be adapted to the height of a user or virtual trainers can provide feedback based on the training form.
• Face recognition: ARKit introduced an industry-leading standard for facial recognition, capable of tracking detailed facial movements and expressions. This enables applications such as virtual filters that change based on expressions or AR games that use facial gestures for control.
• Object tracking: ARKit can track the position and orientation of physical objects, creating AR experiences that interact with existing objects, such as a virtual manual that overlays information directly onto a physical object.

The constantly evolving ARKit

ARKit is constantly evolving and Apple regularly releases new features and improvements. The latest updates include:

• Recognition of objects and scenes: ARKit can now identify specific objects and understand the overall layout of a scene, paving the way for more interactive and immersive AR experiences.
• Human occultation: Virtual objects can be covered by people in the scene, which improves the reality of interactions between virtual and real elements.

ARKit's influence on third-party frameworks

Before ARKit, developers often relied on expensive third-party frameworks to create AR experiences. These frameworks required significant investments in money and time, as they often involved complex setup and learning curves. Custom AR platforms like Metaio and Vuforia often came with license fees and additional hardware requirements. ARKit has significantly reduced the need for these third-party solutions by providing a comprehensive, integrated framework that is both powerful and easy to use. This democratization of AR development has enabled a broader developer community to create high-quality AR applications without the costs associated with third-party tools.

The future of AR with ARKit

ARKit has established itself as a leading force in mobile AR development. With its continued advancements and the ever-increasing capabilities of Apple devices, ARKit will play an important role in shaping the future of AR. As ARKit continues to evolve, it will bring even more innovative and transformative experiences to iPhone and iPad users, further blurring the lines between virtual and real worlds.

In conclusion, ARKit has not only simplified AR development but also made it more accessible, paving the way for a new era of augmented reality experiences. Its impact on the AR landscape is profound as it enables developers to create more engaging, realistic and interactive AR applications.