🛸 Facebook and Apple committed to augmented reality

When Facebook and Apple make extraordinary investments in new technologies such as augmented reality (AR), we know this is definitely a topic we should pay attention to. Both companies have already made a point of saying they are highly dedicated to developing, testing and implementing this new technology.

Apple is more focused on creating tools for the developer community, while Facebook's strategy is to make augmented reality available to the masses.

So what is augmented reality, then?

This is a technology that places virtual objects in the real world, whether through glasses or the cameras of phones or tablets. Users can interact with those objects from the screen, and the line that separates what is real from what is not becomes truly thin. A good example of AR is the Instagram or Snapchat filters, where the user gets a moustache or rabbit or dog ears. This is also the technology used in the Pokémon Go game, which was all the rage worldwide two years ago.

These are only some of the possibilities, and as the technology develops, more and more changes are expected in how we play, learn or connect with the world.

Apple launches ARKit 2.0

With the recent announcement of the launch of ARKit 2.0 (Augmented Reality Kit 2.0), which is the third version of the app platform as far as AR is concerned, Apple shows that it is indeed committed to this sector. US banks have already said this will be an 8-billion opportunity for the company.

The tech giant's growth is expected to rest on price (which will be premium), but also on an increase in iPhone sales thanks to these new tools. These are some of the apps that have already launched or will still launch using ARKit:

- IKEA Place: you no longer need to guess how that piece of furniture or decoration will look at home. With the app, you can place it virtually wherever you want, using the camera on your phone or tablet. - American Airlines: the app prototype overlays real-time information on everything happening in airport terminals, so the user can easily see where to eat, use the toilet or rest. - Complete Anatomy: this app lets users see exactly how the human body works in great detail. Imagine how much easier learning becomes that way.

Facebook tests Augmented Reality ads

Despite the recent scandals related to the confidentiality of users' personal data, Facebook remains highly popular and has tremendous reach across all its platforms: more than 1.3 billion on Messenger, 2 billion on Facebook itself and 800 million on Instagram.

That is why Mark Zuckerberg's company wants to make AR available to the masses and, given the number of people it reaches, let's say it will not be very difficult. It will be easier for someone to try the technology in an app they already have on their smartphone, and Facebook definitely wants to go further than facial filters.

Some advertisers on this social network already have exclusive access to test ads with these special effects. Seeing how a pair of glasses looks on your face, for example, becomes simpler. So far, we know that Pottery Barn, Wayfair, NYX Professional Makeup and Bobbi Brown are some of the companies that have already tested this feature.

Another of the innovations revealed at the F8 conference, organised annually by Facebook, was the ability to 'transform' ordinary photographs into 3D. So one extra AR application can be embedding a 3D object in posts; in Messenger too, you can view or try products with this technology.

A new feature also presented is connecting images, logos and signs to augmented content. That is part of a "target tracking" beta test, which uses the Facebook camera to link real-world images with AR ones.

Partnerships between developers at large technology companies such as Apple and Facebook make it possible to improve and develop new augmented reality apps, creating opportunities for games or even business solutions.

Do you think your company can use or benefit from these tools? According to the specialists, this really will be the future.