Qualcomm releases Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform
Qualcomm announced the launch of the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform, a head-worn augmented reality (AR) developer kit to create immersive experiences. Qualcomm hopes that with mature technology and an open and cross-device horizontal platform and ecosystem, developers’ ideas can be turned into reality and the possibility of head-mounted AR can be changed.
Qualcomm has more than ten years of R&D experience in the AR field. Snapdragon Spaces provides powerful machine perception technology and optimizes the performance and power consumption of the next-generation AR smart glasses, which can better perform smart interaction and bring a better interactive experience. Qualcomm said that AR technology still needs continuous investment until it reaches a fully immersive and enhanced experience. In order to better develop, Snapdragon Spaces supports Epic Games’ Unreal Engine, Niantic’s Lightship platform, Unity and Viacom CBS, etc., allowing developers to use familiar tools and workflows, which is conducive to creating an experience that is fully integrated with the real world.
Qualcomm hopes to use the Snapdragon Spaces XR developer platform to lower the barriers for developers to build AR experiences and reduce barriers to AR development. Documents, sample codes, tutorials, and additional tools can be obtained on this platform to quickly build basic AR applications. In order to further promote the platform, Qualcomm also launched the Snapdragon Spaces Pathfinder program to support innovators using AR technology by preemptively obtaining platform technology, project funding, joint marketing and promotion, and hardware development kits to help and develop an active Snapdragon Spaces developer community.
It is understood that manufacturers including Lenovo, Motorola, OPPO, and Xiaomi are the initial partners of Snapdragon Spaces, among which Lenovo’s ThinkReality A3 smart glasses will be the first commercial product. Qualcomm will also cooperate with telecom operators including Deutsche Telekom, US T-Mobile, and NTT DOCOMO to help expand and bind to smartphones and AR smart glasses that support Snapdragon Spaces.
