While there aren’t many practical uses (yet) for Google’s ARCore library, it’s still an incredible technical achievement — especially considering most of the depth-sensing is done entirely with software. ARCore 1.7 is now rolling out on the Play Store, with a new Augmented Faces API and other improvements.
The most important addition is the Augmented Faces API, which is now available on the front-facing camera. It creates a “high quality, 468-point 3D mesh” of a user’s face, which can then be used by developers to create effects. Some of the possible uses include masks, hats, and even skin retouching. Simply put, applications can now create Snapchat-like face filters, without reinventing the wheel.
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ARCore 1.7 also includes ‘ARCore Elements,’ which are a set of common AR UI components for Unity developed and tested by Google. Much like the Augmented Faces API, the idea is to prevent developers from having to write object detection code for common use cases. For example, the ‘Plane Finding’ component makes it easier for applications to detect a surface, and the ‘Object Manipulation’ component implements gestures for rotating and resizing AR objects.
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There are a few other improvements in ARCore 1.7, like the ability to ‘pause’ an AR experience and improving object animations. You can see the full changelogs from the links below.
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