Google releases ARCore 1.7: adds Augmented Faces API for AR selfies
Snapchat has made the world aware of the augmented reality filter, and Facebook has further promoted it with its own mobile app. Of course, other people have followed, but compared to original, most of their face tracking applications are pale and powerless.
Now, Google offers Android developers the opportunity to add facial filters. The tech giant recently introduced the augmented reality feature of logging into Android devices via ARCore 1.7. This version brings a range of features to the tool suite, but the most notable is the Augmented Faces API.
This API provides a front camera with a 3D grid that creates a “high quality, 468-point 3D mesh” so that apps can overlay fun effects on a user’s face without a depth sensor. Not only that, ARCore 1.7 extends the original animation options. The latest version supports 3D models to achieve jump, dance, rotation and other actions through the Sceneform extension.
The new version also standardizes the user interface for the augmented reality experience with ARCore Elements. In the beginning, ARCore Elements consisted of common asset components for flat search and object manipulation, but Google plans to add more elements later.
In another user experience optimization, ARCore 1.7 adds Shared Camera access to help users switch between standard mode and AR mode more easily. For example, Shared Camera can support users to easily take pictures of the AR experience.
Since ARCore updates are implemented through application updates rather than new operating system versions, Google can easily continue to publish regular updates for ARCore. It is expected that Google will release a major version update at the I/O conference in May.
ARCore project is available here.