App Development
Augmented Reality App Development Company
Augmented Reality apps might be getting a lot of attention now, but AR technology has been around for a while. For example, the popular social media app Snapchat has been using AR for almost a decade to give users the ability to add interactive filters to their photos and videos, and Pokémon Go has been one of the most popular mobile games for many years.
Today, businesses from clothing stores, furniture makers, advertisers, healthcare groups, and more are developing AR applications to provide unique experiences to their users. Koombea recognizes that AR is the medium of the next generation. As a result, there are a lot of opportunities for forward-thinking organizations to develop apps that provide Augmented Reality experiences.
The trouble for most businesses is finding Augmented Reality companies they can put their trust in. Koombea is more than just an Augmented Reality company; we are a full-service software development company. Koombea is not like other Augmented Reality companies. We value collaboration and partnership internally and externally. Our developers will take the time to truly understand your business, your industry, your operations, and your target audience, so the solution we build for you fits your processes and exceeds your expectations.
Augmented Reality experiences are great for driving engagement and fostering growth, but AR features are only part of your application. Koombea is a development partner you can trust to build your application from top to bottom. Besides AR, we ensure that your application has an intuitive User Interface that powers a satisfying User Experience, clean code free from bugs and security vulnerabilities, and the integrations and services your business needs for your operations.
Types of Augmented Reality
You might be surprised to learn that there are two different types of Augmented Reality. Of course, AR apps can use both types of AR, but more likely than not, your app will use one form of Augmented Reality or the other. Therefore, it is important to understand what you want your app to do with Augmented Reality to set realistic expectations based on the capabilities of available AR app development technologies. The two types of AR are:
Marker-Based AR
Marker-based AR relies on a specific pattern or marker to tell the app what content to display. For example, QR codes or pictograms are commonly used as custom markers to display AR content. There is no limit to the number of related markers and AR content you can have in your application, but each marker will only have one specific augmentation associated with it.
Marker-based Augmented Reality is best suited for augmentations directly related to a specific item. For example, art museum apps can utilize AR features to display in-depth artist information and various details of the specific artwork being viewed. In this case, each piece has its own associated augmented content, and there is no need for differing experiences.
Location-Based AR
Location-based AR is far more sophisticated than marker-based AR. Location-based AR positions augmented content without the aid of markers by using a device’s GPS data, built-in sensors, and complex computer vision algorithms. Augmented content is not specifically tied to one place or item. If you want to display unique content to each user based on their location and other data points, location-based Augmented Reality is the right choice for your app.
Additionally, if you want augmented content to responsively adapt to various locations, location-based AR is the best bet. This type of AR is used for mobile games, visualizing furniture in rooms, and so much more. Since it doesn’t rely on preset markers, location-based AR is more difficult to develop, but it can also provide better experiences for your users.
Our AR Capabilities
Before you choose an Augmented Reality company, it is important to understand its capabilities. At Koombea, we are proud of the AR apps we build. Our apps have several important AR capabilities, including:
Detecting Surroundings
Our AR apps can detect a user’s surroundings by scanning the area with their device’s camera lens. The information gathered by the scan of the surrounding area is perceived as an image on a coordinate plane, which is then translated into a depth map to ensure accurate and realistic augmentation placement. It is impossible to provide marker or location-based Augmented Reality features without good scene detection capabilities.
Motion Tracking
Mobile phones keep users on the move, so your Augmented Reality features must dynamically respond as users move throughout their environment. Modern smartphones come equipped with motion features such as GPS, accelerometer, and gyroscope. These features allow our developers to create responsive augmentations that dynamically calibrate as users move through their surroundings.
Object Recognition
Beyond detecting the user’s surroundings, object recognition is an essential part of AR apps. Our developers can train your application to recognize 3D objects and 2D images and then augment them with specific text, data, or models on device screens. Object recognition is essential for marker-based AR to function properly.
Estimating Light
If you want to have a seamless AR experience, the augmentations generated by your application need to match the lighting of a user’s environment. Our AR app development process includes algorithms to estimate the lighting in a user’s surroundings. AR apps use light algorithms to intelligently generate augmentations that naturally match the lighting in the scene being shown on the device’s screen.
AR Technologies We Use
Thanks to the immense capabilities of Augmented Reality development frameworks developing AR applications with world-class features is easier than ever before. Our team of developers can build iOS, Android, and cross-platform apps that use AR technology in novel ways to provide a User Experience that can’t be matched. The primary app development tools we use when building apps that have AR features are:
ARKit
ARKit is an AR development framework built by Apple for iOS and iPad applications. This app development framework was designed to bring high-quality AR experiences to Apple hardware. It has been optimized specifically for devices that run iOS and utilizes low-level hardware commands to deliver Augmented Reality features at the highest level of fidelity.
At Koombea, our mobile app developers have over a decade of experience building native iOS apps. Our developers stay up to date with the latest advancements in software, hardware, and development released by Apple. ARKit is continuously improving, like all Apple products, and our team follows these improvements closely to deliver the best AR services to our partners.
ARCore
Since Apple has its own dedicated AR development framework, it is only natural that Google would also have an Augmented Reality app development framework of their own. Google’s framework is called ARCore. ARCore shares a lot in common with ARKit, but instead of being built for iOS, ARCore was built and optimized for Android devices.
What makes ARCore different is how it attempts to determine a user's device's relative orientation and location. ARCore does not use a device’s GPS or other external signals. Instead, it uses SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) to understand where a device is in relation to the world around it. In addition, ARCore can be used on a wider range of devices than ARKit because the Android device ecosystem is so much larger than Apple’s.
At Koombea, we also have over a decade of experience building native Android apps. Our team of mobile developers and designers keeps up with the latest innovations for Android. ARCore has improved drastically since it was first launched, and it will continue to improve as it ages. When building native Android apps with AR features, our teams use ARCore.
Vuforia
ARCore and ARKit are great tools for Augmented Reality development, but what happens when you want to build a cross-platform mobile app? Vuforia is one of the leading third-party AR frameworks and SDK. Not only is Vuforia supported by iOS and Android platforms, but the popular cross-platform game engine Unity also supports it.
Vuforia offers projects the most flexibility since it can be used to create apps that run on both major mobile platforms and one of the most widely used gaming engines. In addition, Vuforia includes high-quality AR features that can display floating text in real-time and accurately read surrounding terrain. Our developers use Vuforia to create immersive cross-platform AR apps.
Our Work
Some of the Brands that Trust Us
About Koombea
We have been designing and developing world-class websites and apps since 2007. We have worked with some of the most innovative brands in the world, from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 companies. Our team has been recognized as an industry leader and top app development and design company.
Augmented Reality is one of the most exciting app development technologies of the present and future, and at Koombea, we are closely following the latest innovations and best practices to deliver cutting-edge development services to our partners.
We would love to learn more about your business, operations, and current app ideas or needs. Contact us today to speak with an experienced mobile app developer about your needs. Koombea wants to be your business’s Augmented Reality services partner.