Creating webAR
Perhaps you haven’t heard about AWE, but we are the home of webAR. We’ve been working in Augmented Reality since 2007 and since then it’s come a very long way.
In 2009 we launched the world’s first web based platform for creating AR (which was called buildAR.com), but back then as the name suggests that only let you build AR through your web browser.
Since 2010 we’ve had a clear vision for how the web could be used to both create & present AR experiences.
Try this demo for yourself at rocket.awe.io
Then point your camera at the image at the top of this page
Or scan this QR code to link directly to the demo
Then point your camera at the image at the top of this page
In 2012 we announced our Augmented Web Experience (AWE) vision to the world at the Augmented Reality Expo in Santa Clara (in fact they loved our presentation so much the following year they rebranded as “Augmented World Expo”).
From 2014 we were sharing live demonstrations of how webAR works.
And by 2017 we were able to launch the world’s first webAR content creation platform called awe.media (Augmented Web Experiences). We really have come a long way since then!
Fast forward to today and webAR is now a reality being used daily by millions of people around the world, for brand promotion & activation, product or information services, education, games & much more.
Creatives have used AWE to build webAR for brands like Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Samsung, Cadbury, Coke, Unisys and many more. They have promoted these webAR experiences on mainstream TV to hundreds of millions of people, attached them to mainstream consumer products, used them live at sporting events and so much more.
Our platform makes it so easy to fully custom brand your whole experience, which is why many people have not heard of us at all.
Behind the scenes we love to help people create webAR, and our customers rave about the great quality and in-depth support we provide.
Now we are working to expand the ways we can help people even further, and this post is the first in a series that will explore all the different aspects of creating webAR. We aim to show you just how easy it is for creative people to design and build really rich and interactive webAR experiences. And how easy it is to share them using a single web link or QR code.
First, let’s cover a few basics.
What is AR?
Most people nowadays are quite familiar with the concept of Augmented Reality. This means that you Augment your “first person” point of view of the “Real world” around you by overlaying digital content onto it. The key is that it must be registered in a way that makes it seem like an extension of your “first person” experience.
Underneath this are a LOT of different technologies and complex math. But the great news is that nowadays webAR lets you create & deliver an experience that “just works”. So you don’t need to worry about all of these details — unless of course you want to ;)
What is webAR?
The web has changed our world and today everyone has a browser in their pocket, in their bag and on their desk. Even devices you can strap to your face, have browsers too! web-based AR or web AR is part of the next evolution of the web that connects your browser to the real world around you. webAR lets your browser access the camera and sensors from your device and combines them with HTML and 3D content on screen to create an immersive & interactive webAR experience.
In short you:
- Open a web link in your browser
- Point your camera at the real world
- and BAM — magic happens!
With AWE you can Augment your Web Experience so anyone can quickly and easily try webAR. No visiting an app store, no installing any apps and no big companies controlling or reviewing what is published.
The future of the web is “immersive” and webAR is the word that most people now use to describe this.
What are the big challenges with creating webAR?
The key point with webAR is that it is widely available thanks to Open Web Standards. This simply means it builds on top of technology that’s already available in the billions of web browsers people already have in their pockets, in their bags, on their desks and even on their faces!
One of the biggest challenges is that web browsers are a constantly moving target, as they continue to update and evolve. If you aim to build your own webAR solution on top of one of the Javascript SDKs or APIs then you need to make sure you allocate a significant amount of developer time to monitoring these changes in the browsers, testing and then dealing with updates and fixes as things change.
But if you don’t have the time or budget for this, or you’re not a developer then you can easily use a robust webAR creation platform like awe.media that will seamlessly manage this for you.
The next biggest issue is getting your target audience from “knowing your webAR experience exists” to actually “using your webAR experience”. Even though webAR removes all the hurdles of the “Downloadable App” world, it is still challenging to drive users to open and use your experience. And you need to ensure they have a great “First Use” experience too. We’ll cover more about this in detail in our next post.
Beyond this there are a wide range of details. A whole new level of User Experience issues to consider. A whole new way of planning and designing content. New media formats and workflows. Plus a range of different webAR modes & technologies including Image tracking, Face tracking, Geolocation, World tracking, 360°/VR experiences and much more.
The key message we hope you take away from this is that webAR is here right now and it provides an amazing opportunity for creative people like you to weave new and exciting immersive experiences.
Please share this post and come back again when we continue exploring how you create webAR…
Looking for help getting started with webAR?
Here’s a guide to setting up your free trial and getting started creating webAR.
And here’s a guide to creating your first Image based webAR experience.
If you have any questions or need any help please contact support [at] awe.media — we love to help!
