Apr 08, 2019 12:10:00

Niantic CEO who gave birth to 'Pokemon GO' talks about 'Why pursue AR'

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Ubiquitous ' is an English word that means 'always and everywhere', and the word ' ubiquitous society ' is used to mean that 'the Internet network can be accessed regardless of time, place, or person'. Became known. As for the reason for pursuing Augmented Reality (AR) for the realization of such a ubiquitous society, John ・ who is the CEO of Niantic who gave birth to ' Pokémon GO ' at GDC 2019 held in San Francisco in March 2019 Mr. Hanke said.

Designing a planet-scale real-world AR platform-Niantic
https://nianticlabs.com/blog/nrwp-update/

How Niantic is preparing for AR's ubiquitous future | VentureBeat
https://venturebeat.com/2019/04/07/how-niantic-is-preparing-for-ars-ubiquitous-future/

Incorporating AR as a game into the world to produce entertainment is also what Niantic's mission is, but it is only the superficial part of the possibilities of AR. Hanke said, 'Niantic sees the future of AR development beyond games, and we can improve life with AR using glasses instead of smartphones.'

Hanke hopes to use the AR in the form of purchasing bus tickets and checking information on historical buildings etc, but the technology has not reached that stage. Therefore, as many as the number of people involved in the development and operation of Pokemon GO, which has become a popular game, is focused on developing

the AR platform in the real world .

Hanke explained the importance of the AR experience expanded by the AR development platform, but at the same time, 'AR is not a universal means to hit the game. A few minutes of playing using AR mode is ideal, Most of the game should still take place outside the AR, and also consider the possibility that the act of holding the smartphone up for an AR experience may be received by people around you as 'indiscriminately taking pictures' There is also, ”says the AR's shortcomings. Hanke further emphasized that the right approach to developing an AR is 'designing one for the AR that can not be done outside the AR.'

Hanke also talked about how the next generation of AR will develop. In the Pokemon GO, although AR can be seen as if Pokemon appeared in a real landscape, it only looks at the Pokemon's appearance in front of the real background and is not aware of the surroundings of the real world. In the next-generation AR, if there is a step in reality, it will not only appear in front of the flowerpot in place but also be hidden behind it, so the 'atom' actually exists as a hologram 'bit' It is hoped that they will connect together to create a more immersive experience. About the AR technology 'Niantic Occlusion' linked more with the real world, you can understand the following article well.

AR technology 'Niantic Occlusion' that can realize real-digital interaction far surpassing conventional AR-GIGAZINE

'It is our ultimate goal to make them indistinguishable from atoms and bits,' says Hanke. According to Hanke, AR also has the side that 'we can deepen our appreciation and understanding of our world' while providing useful information and services while we live our daily lives. That's why Hanke thinks that a solid understanding of AR before it starts is worth spending time and money.