Paul Morris·

iOS 11 ARKit Gets Coolest Augmented Reality Demo Yet [Video]

If you watched with amazement during Apple’s on-stage WWDC introduction of ARKit and wondered what developers could actually use it for, then you really need to be checking out this stunning inter-dimensional portal creation built using the new Apple framework.

If you have ever wanted to be casually walking along the street and then walk through a portal into a vast new world, then this is the technology that you need to be embracing. The creation by @nedd, essentially uses Apple’s new ARKit framework within the iOS 11 SDK to augment the real world with what is basically a portal into a new environment and new surrounding.

When the app is running, the portal, or a doorway in this instance, shows up to the user at a specific location in the real world. That user can not only see the real environment around them but also get a glimpse into that new environment through the aforementioned portal. It’s then a case of simply walking through it and be fully immersed in that environment.

Unfortunately, there’s no accompanying information with the reveal that actually takes the user on the journey about how much effort was required in putting something like this together. Like most virtual and augmented reality experiences, it’s also one of those things that are actually better received and experienced in person, on the device, rather than watching via a video. But it does give a sense of the immersion and exactly what you would get if you were there in person. It’s also likely that we can expect a lot more innovative uses of Apple’s ARKit to come out of the woodwork over the next few months.

One of the cool things about Apple’s ARKit is the ability it provides in “blending digital objects and information with the environment”. Integration of ARKit allows developers to create apps and experiences which are spatially aware, meaning that they can find horizontal planes and surfaces and then map them out in the environment. Developers can then create experiences around those mapped points, such as this wonderful portal experience that you are watching.

This is only the beginning of what Apple has in-store for us with AR and VR capabilities so we look forward to seeing what’s to come. For now, check out the video embedded below, and let us know what you think in the comments section below.

(Source: Made With ARKit [YouTube])

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