Google’s New App Gives Android Users Access to Augmented Reality

Google has released a free Motion Stills app that allows any Android phone with a built-in gyroscope that runs Android 5.1 or higher access to the latest augmented reality technology. Google's latest app was built with editing videos and GIFS in mind. It allows the user to capture short videos and change them into stunning cinemagraphs or sweeping cinematic pans using their advanced rendering and stabilization technology. Now you can combine AR stickers and clips into movies or create looping GIFS that you can easily share with your friends.

Not Just For Pixel 2

Google Pixel 2 owners have already been enjoying adding a host of fun AR stickers, including R2-D2 and Stranger Things characters, into the real world using the device's built-in ARCore technology. Pixel 2 owners with the Android Oreo 8.1 update received early access to Google's library of AR stickers since December last year.

This is no longer an exclusive club of AR aficionados as Google's Motion Still app is opening the market by making it easier to access. The latest version of the Motion Stills app brings all the fun of these AR stickers to a decent cross section of Android devices, making it easy for anyone to insert 3D objects into the surroundings before recording.

Motion Still Features

With Motion Still, you can:

●        Use the AR mode to add fun characters to your surroundings.

●        Create a short, 3 second clip with a simple tap of your screen.

●        Condense up to a minute of video into a short clip by using the Fast Forward mode.

●        Combine clips to create movies with a simple swipe to the right.

●        Share your Motion Stills as short videos or cool looping GIF's directly with your friends.

The AR functionality is by far the most appealing feature of the app. Using this function you can stick an animated 3D object on any surface, even if it is moving. You can then record a video or GIF of the animated character's actions in the real world and share your Motion Stills clip directly with your friends. Sounds pretty awesome!

How Does the App Work?

You can get into the finer technical details of the app on Google Research's blog but the short explanation is that the app will track your phone's 3D rotation and location in relation to the ground or any flat surface that is in view. With this data, it is able to insert a 3D object into your real world surroundings and will scale up and down proportionally as you move closer or further from the AR character. This could be implemented in many ways and would also making playing at River Belle casino and any other gaming site so much more interactive.

Accessing AR Technology is Becoming Easier

Google is paving the way in terms of making the wonders of augmented reality technology more accessible to a wider audience. You'll probably have noticed that some of the best and most recent apps in the augmented reality category are confined almost exclusively to more advanced phones that run the latest operating software. So it's a great thing that Google is trying to grow the market by making these AR features available on any Android device that runs Android 5.1 or higher. Of course, the hope is that these new users will enjoy the taste of AR so much that they'll be more inclined to upgrade to the Pixel 2 which comes standard with the more advanced ARCore tech.