We’ve seen some early results of how Apple’s ARKit is helping developers create some augmented reality apps , giving a taste of what’s likely to come in the near future. But in addition to games and features utilities , it seems that some are also interested in the technology to merge virtual characters with real actors.
We’ve already seen a bit of that in a demo application that clones the music clip from A-ha ‘s classic Take on Me , and now indie game developer Duncan Walker has put some scary and realistic robot soldiers on the streets of London .
Walker says he created the androids with Unity3D, recorded some footage on the street with the iPhone 7 and then used ARKit to mix the two. The video was shared by Twitter, and the low resolution undermines the effect, but we can still see that the result is quite realistic.
The rendered models appear to be authentic enough to approach the natural human movement. The video takes AR technology to the cinematographic creation, which suggests many possibilities. Walker also says he will apply directional light sources in his next experiment. This is a technique that could reduce budgeted spending on some movie productions, at least those that do not require very astonishing quality. More than that, it will help small producers and those producing content for streaming platforms to greatly expand their possibilities.
Now a company called Lunatix , created by a group of space engineers, seeks to push the boundaries of augmented reality games through camera-equipped nanobots. They could be used in AR applications where players would control them at a distance – they will be in places outside the planet, like the Moon.
These nanobots emerged through ESA’s SpaceTech 2016 program, which has led many participants from around the world to create space projects. Nanobots would be a key part of an augmented reality game that would generate revenue through monthly subscriptions. The Lunatix team’s plan is to first develop the game using virtual nanobots in a simulated lunar environment to instigate user interest before deploying the actual hardware.
If the nanobots are sent to the moon, they will take advantage of the low gravity of the natural satellite to jump up to 3 meters high and distances of up to 10 meters.
Lunatix expects that the development and deployment of nanobots will take about four years. Players will have real images and moon videos available and some “exclusive” users will be able to purchase an option that would allow them to control their own nanobot.
Although it is difficult to know if they will achieve the goal, the team already imagines even a world beyond the moon. “Once the validity of the commercial proposal is demonstrated on the Moon, LUNATIX’s next stop may be Mars!” Says the company.
