Google s New AR Update Adds Depth Without Needing Lidar Like Apple s IPad

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See that little critter hide? That's occlusion.

Google


This week's AR news has been focused on [/news/apples-future-ar-pieces-hid-in-the-corners-during-a-virtual-wwdc/ Apple's augmented reality updates to iOS 14], many of which lean on the depth-scanning hardware only on the recent iPad Pro. Google announced its own AR news this week, too, and you won't need specialized hardware to use its depth-sensing tools.
A [ Depth API update to ARCore], announced and available today, will be able to make 3D meshes of environments and use them to lay virtual objects down more realistically. Virtual objects will even appear to hide behind real ones through a technique called occlusion.






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Google [ ], but it's just becoming available now. Google has already announced a number of apps that will use the depth functions in AR, including an update to a key Samsung app. The Quick Measure AR app in the [/reviews/galaxy-note-10-plus-review-samsung-fantastic-screen-cameras-battery-life-raise-new-phone-to-the-top-review/ Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus] and [/reviews/samsung-galaxy-s20-ultra-5g-review/ Galaxy S20 Ultra] will gain extra depth-improvement updates for measurements "in the coming months," according to Google. A demo reel of what the depth-sensing AR can do is embedded below; a lot of it looks impressive.