Niantic unveils 'Lightship' platform for AR developers, and invests more than 2 billion yen to realize 'Real World Metaverse'
Niantic, known for 'Ingress' and 'Pokemon GO', announced on November 8, 2021 that it will release the platform 'Lightship ' for AR (augmented reality) developers and the development kit ' Lightship ARDK'. He also revealed that he has launched 'Niantic Ventures ' to invest in and partner with companies that will build the future of AR.
Niantic: Expanding AR developer platform 'Lightship' globally – Niantic
Niantic Ventures: Funding Companies Building Real World Metaverse – Niantic
https://nianticlabs.com/blog/nianticventures/
'Lightship' is a platform cultivated by Niantic's development experience from Ingress, Pokemon GO, and Pikmin Bloom , and includes a cross-platform software development kit 'ARDK' that runs on Android and iOS devices. The ARDK integrates tools and technologies that enhance the top three AR capabilities: Mapping, Understanding, and Sharing. Developers can create their own AR experience, Niantic said.
Mapping can transform public places into 'new experiences where people explore, gather, and connect.' For example, ARDK's meshing API makes it possible to create a 3D mesh map in real time using the camera sensor or LiDAR sensor of a smartphone, grasp the surrounding terrain, and reflect it in the app. The following movie is where a 3D mesh map of the surrounding area was actually created with the camera using the meshing API.
Mapping Meshing tech demo --YouTube
Understanding allows digital objects to interact with the real world and display where they are needed. ARDK's Semantic Segmentation API can instantly identify different elements of the real-world environment, such as ground, sky, water, and buildings. The following movie shows how to actually identify the sky and the ground using the semantic segmentation API.
Semantics tech demo --YouTube
Sharing is for sharing AR experiences with other players in order to make all AR experiences feel real. Using ARDK's multiplayer API, you can easily create an AR session that supports up to 5 players at the same time. For example, it is possible for multiple players to interfere with one AR content at the same time, as shown below.
ARDK MultiPlayer Planet Landscape tech demo --YouTube
Niantic is also demonstrating the Niantic Visual Positioning System (VPS) with the goal of creating 3D maps of the entire world.
For example, you can scan the real world with a camera sensor and place objects in a way that corresponds to the real world, as shown below.
And other users who use the same app can access the object.
Lightship's ARDK has already been provided to some companies
And Niantic Ventures is a $ 20 million fund aimed at investing in companies that are trying to create the future of AR. Niantic said, 'Niantic Vetures wants to play a role in promoting the AR ecosystem, and for founders and investors, our vision is the Real World Metaverse. We would like you to work together to create a company that shares the above. '
'Niantic aims to give people around the world an experience of AR and create a platform to support it,' said John Hanke, CEO of Niantic's founder. This has changed since Niantic was founded. But to fuse the real and virtual worlds and transform the relationship between people and technology, we need the opinions and perspectives of as many people as possible. That's why developers, brands, creators, And we are very pleased to have the Lightship platform available to everyone who creates a comprehensive, human-centric experience that inspires peers exploring AR and opens up the possibilities of AR. ' Did.
You can see Niantic's keynote below.
Lightship Global Launch Keynote-YouTube
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