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2018’s Top Augmented Reality Apps
Rebecca Appleton • 1 April 2020
Augmented Reality is one of those buzz words that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere and after the success of Pokemon Go in 2016, it was clear that AR was going to be a major trend for app developers. Still considered to be one of the most exciting technologies around, it’s still in its infancy – that said, there have been plenty of innovations this year with lots of AR powered apps making their way into the App Store and Google Play. Here are a few of the year’s very best AR apps.
Civilizations
Created by the BBC, Civilizations is the broadcaster’s first ever Augmented Reality app. It is designed to help users discover treasures from history, bringing wonderous art and culture from around the world to iOS and Android devices. From Ancient Egypt to Renaissance masterpieces, the collection covers 30 artefacts and was developed in conjunction with a number of museums. The app accompanies a TV series and brings the featured artefacts into the user’s home. Thanks to AR, they are realistic and to scale and each can be moved, rotated and scaled.
IKEA Place
It may not be as culturally groundbreaking as the BBC’s Civilizations app, but IKEA Place is a fantastic example of how AR can be used to make daily life that little bit easier. The app uses AR to allow shoppers to virtually position any IKEA furniture piece in their space. It shows the item in 3D and true to scale meaning decorators can see what that sofa or kitchen table might look like, without having to buy it, assemble it and then decide it isn’t quite right.
Night Sky
Who hasn’t gazed up and wondered at the beauty of the night sky? This app is designed for iOS 12 and is a three times Lovie Award winner, a Webby award winner and won an Apple Best of nod last year. It uses AR to create a personal planetarium for the user. The user simply holds their device up to the night sky and the AR app will identify stars, planets, constellations and satellites. Objects can be pulled out of the sky and explored in more detail – or even shared via iMessage.
The Machines
An AR game so good it was referenced in an Apple Keynote Speech! Called a “perfect example of the future of AR” by Macworld and described as “Apple’s most impressive Augmented Reality showcase yet” by Eurogamer, this game uses AR to create a breathtaking world where gamers can battle their friends with 3D sound, graphics and gameplay like never before.
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