Difference between revisions of "Augmented Reality"
From Pokemon Go Wiki
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| + | = Augmented Reality in [[Pokémon GO]] = | ||
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[[Augmented Reality]] (AR) is a technology that overlays computer-generated images, sounds, and contextual data onto the real world, creating an interactive composite view. Unlike [https://vrarwiki.com/wiki/Virtual_reality Virtual Reality], which replaces the user’s surroundings entirely, AR supplements reality—letting digital [[Pokémon]] appear on streets, in parks, or even on a player’s desk. Since its launch in July 2016, Pokémon GO has continuously expanded its AR tool-set, evolving from a simple camera overlay into sophisticated, persistent, and shared experiences that leverage surface detection, spatial mapping, and cloud anchoring. | [[Augmented Reality]] (AR) is a technology that overlays computer-generated images, sounds, and contextual data onto the real world, creating an interactive composite view. Unlike [https://vrarwiki.com/wiki/Virtual_reality Virtual Reality], which replaces the user’s surroundings entirely, AR supplements reality—letting digital [[Pokémon]] appear on streets, in parks, or even on a player’s desk. Since its launch in July 2016, Pokémon GO has continuously expanded its AR tool-set, evolving from a simple camera overlay into sophisticated, persistent, and shared experiences that leverage surface detection, spatial mapping, and cloud anchoring. | ||
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! Year !! Milestone !! Key details !! Sources | ! Year !! Milestone !! Key details !! Sources | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2016 || Launch overlay || Basic camera passthrough; optional toggle for battery savings. || <ref name="Launch2016"> | + | | 2016 || Launch overlay || Basic camera passthrough; optional toggle for battery savings. || <ref name="Launch2016">https://niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/6-pokemon-go/faq/28-catching-pokemon-in-ar-mode/</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2017 || [[AR+]] (iOS) || Surface detection, proximity ‘‘stealth’’ meter, and ''Expert Handler'' bonus on ARKit devices. || <ref name="ARPlus2017"> | + | | 2017 || [[AR+]] (iOS) || Surface detection, proximity ‘‘stealth’’ meter, and ''Expert Handler'' bonus on ARKit devices. || <ref name="ARPlus2017">https://pokemongolive.com/post/arplus/</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2018 || AR+ on Android || Requires ARCore-compatible phones running Android 7.0+. || <ref name="ARPlusAndroid2018"> | + | | 2018 || AR+ on Android || Requires ARCore-compatible phones running Android 7.0+. || <ref name="ARPlusAndroid2018">https://9to5google.com/2018/10/11/pokemon-go-ar-plus-android/</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2019 || [[GO Snapshot]] || Stand-alone photo mode for any stored Pokémon; supports social sharing and Smeargle photobombs. || <ref name="Snapshot2019"> | + | | 2019 || [[GO Snapshot]] || Stand-alone photo mode for any stored Pokémon; supports social sharing and Smeargle photobombs. || <ref name="Snapshot2019">https://pokemongolive.com/post/go-snapshot-announce/</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2019 || [[Buddy Adventure]] || Let Trainers interact with and photograph buddies together in Shared AR. || <ref name="Buddy2019"> | + | | 2019 || [[Buddy Adventure]] || Let Trainers interact with and photograph buddies together in Shared AR. || <ref name="Buddy2019">https://pokemongolive.com/post/buddyadventurelaunch/</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2020 || Reality Blending & AR Mapping || Depth-based occlusion and crowd-sourced PokéStop Scan tasks. || <ref name="RealityBlending2020"> | + | | 2020 || Reality Blending & AR Mapping || Depth-based occlusion and crowd-sourced PokéStop Scan tasks. || <ref name="RealityBlending2020">https://pokemongolive.com/post/realityblending-announcement/</ref> |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | 2024 || [[Pokémon Playgrounds]] || VPS-anchored, persistent AR that other players can see. || <ref name="Playgrounds2024"> | + | | 2024 || [[Pokémon Playgrounds]] || VPS-anchored, persistent AR that other players can see. || <ref name="Playgrounds2024">https://nianticlabs.com/news/pokemon-playgrounds/</ref> |
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=== AR Catching & AR+ === | === AR Catching & AR+ === | ||
* **Standard AR mode** places the wild Pokémon in the centre of the camera feed and tracks the device’s [[gyroscope]] and [[accelerometer]] for orientation. | * **Standard AR mode** places the wild Pokémon in the centre of the camera feed and tracks the device’s [[gyroscope]] and [[accelerometer]] for orientation. | ||
| − | * **AR+ mode** (2017 iOS / 2018 Android) anchors Pokémon to detected planes, renders them at canonical scale, and introduces an *awareness meter*—approach too quickly and the target may flee.<ref name="ARPlus2017"/ | + | * **AR+ mode** (2017 iOS / 2018 Android) anchors Pokémon to detected planes, renders them at canonical scale, and introduces an *awareness meter*—approach too quickly and the target may flee.<ref name="ARPlus2017"/> |
=== [[GO Snapshot]] === | === [[GO Snapshot]] === | ||
| − | Players can choose any caught Pokémon, place it on a detected surface, reposition it, and capture photos. Smeargle and special-event photobombs may appear after a snapshot session. | + | Players can choose any caught Pokémon, place it on a detected surface, reposition it, and capture photos. Smeargle and special-event photobombs may appear after a snapshot session.<ref name="Snapshot2019"/> |
=== [[Buddy Adventure]] & Shared AR === | === [[Buddy Adventure]] & Shared AR === | ||
| − | In **Play Together**, Trainers feed, pet, and walk with their [[Buddy Pokémon]] rendered in real space; Shared AR syncs up to three buddies for group photos. | + | In **Play Together**, Trainers feed, pet, and walk with their [[Buddy Pokémon]] rendered in real space; Shared AR syncs up to three buddies for group photos.<ref name="Buddy2019"/> |
=== Reality Blending === | === Reality Blending === | ||
| − | Supported devices use depth APIs to let Pokémon move *behind* furniture or trees, improving realism through occlusion. | + | Supported devices use depth APIs to let Pokémon move *behind* furniture or trees, improving realism through occlusion.<ref name="RealityBlending2020"/> |
=== AR Mapping tasks === | === AR Mapping tasks === | ||
| − | Field Research labelled **AR Mapping** asks Trainers to record short, anonymised videos of PokéStops; these scans refine Niantic’s 3-D maps and unlock in-game bonuses such as powered-up PokéStops. | + | Field Research labelled **AR Mapping** asks Trainers to record short, anonymised videos of PokéStops; these scans refine Niantic’s 3-D maps and unlock in-game bonuses such as powered-up PokéStops.<ref name="RealityBlending2020"/> |
=== Pokémon Playgrounds === | === Pokémon Playgrounds === | ||
| − | An experimental feature that lets Trainers anchor Pokémon persistently at real-world landmarks for others to discover and photograph, enabled by Niantic’s [[Visual Positioning System]]. | + | An experimental feature that lets Trainers anchor Pokémon persistently at real-world landmarks for others to discover and photograph, enabled by Niantic’s [[Visual Positioning System]].<ref name="Playgrounds2024"/> |
== Technology stack == | == Technology stack == | ||
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! Layer !! Implementation !! Sources | ! Layer !! Implementation !! Sources | ||
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| − | | Device frameworks || [[ARKit]] | + | | Device frameworks || [[ARKit]] plane-finding on iOS 11+ devices<ref name="ARKitDoc">https://developer.apple.com/documentation/arkit/tracking-and-visualizing-planes</ref> and [[ARCore]] Plane APIs on Android 7+ phones<ref name="ARCoreDoc">https://developers.google.com/ar/reference/java/com/google/ar/core/Plane</ref> | |
| − | | Niantic Lightship ARDK || Cross-platform SDK adding meshing, depth, semantic segmentation, and multiplayer.<ref name="Lightship"> | + | | Niantic Lightship ARDK || Cross-platform SDK adding meshing, depth, semantic segmentation, and multiplayer.<ref name="Lightship">https://lightship.dev/docs/ardk/release_notes/release3.11/</ref> | |
| − | | Visual Positioning System || Cloud-hosted anchors | + | | Visual Positioning System || Cloud-hosted anchors power Playgrounds and future persistent content.<ref name="Playgrounds2024"/> | |
| Networking || Peer-to-peer sessions synchronise transforms for Shared AR.<ref name="Buddy2019"/> | | | Networking || Peer-to-peer sessions synchronise transforms for Shared AR.<ref name="Buddy2019"/> | | ||
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== Future outlook == | == Future outlook == | ||
| − | Niantic has signalled plans for richer occlusion, weather-aware behaviours, and eventual headset support, leveraging its Large Geospatial Model and continued Lightship ARDK updates. | + | Niantic has signalled plans for richer occlusion, weather-aware behaviours, and eventual headset support, leveraging its Large Geospatial Model and continued Lightship ARDK updates.<ref name="Lightship"/> |
== External links == | == External links == | ||
Revision as of 06:11, 27 April 2025
Contents
Augmented Reality in Pokémon GO
Augmented Reality (AR) is a technology that overlays computer-generated images, sounds, and contextual data onto the real world, creating an interactive composite view. Unlike Virtual Reality, which replaces the user’s surroundings entirely, AR supplements reality—letting digital Pokémon appear on streets, in parks, or even on a player’s desk. Since its launch in July 2016, Pokémon GO has continuously expanded its AR tool-set, evolving from a simple camera overlay into sophisticated, persistent, and shared experiences that leverage surface detection, spatial mapping, and cloud anchoring.
For a broader introduction to AR concepts, see the AR Wiki.
Historical development
| Year | Milestone | Key details | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Launch overlay | Basic camera passthrough; optional toggle for battery savings. | <ref name="Launch2016">https://niantic.helpshift.com/hc/en/6-pokemon-go/faq/28-catching-pokemon-in-ar-mode/</ref> |
| 2017 | AR+ (iOS) | Surface detection, proximity ‘‘stealth’’ meter, and Expert Handler bonus on ARKit devices. | <ref name="ARPlus2017">https://pokemongolive.com/post/arplus/</ref> |
| 2018 | AR+ on Android | Requires ARCore-compatible phones running Android 7.0+. | <ref name="ARPlusAndroid2018">https://9to5google.com/2018/10/11/pokemon-go-ar-plus-android/</ref> |
| 2019 | GO Snapshot | Stand-alone photo mode for any stored Pokémon; supports social sharing and Smeargle photobombs. | <ref name="Snapshot2019">https://pokemongolive.com/post/go-snapshot-announce/</ref> |
| 2019 | Buddy Adventure | Let Trainers interact with and photograph buddies together in Shared AR. | <ref name="Buddy2019">https://pokemongolive.com/post/buddyadventurelaunch/</ref> |
| 2020 | Reality Blending & AR Mapping | Depth-based occlusion and crowd-sourced PokéStop Scan tasks. | <ref name="RealityBlending2020">https://pokemongolive.com/post/realityblending-announcement/</ref> |
| 2024 | Pokémon Playgrounds | VPS-anchored, persistent AR that other players can see. | <ref name="Playgrounds2024">https://nianticlabs.com/news/pokemon-playgrounds/</ref> |
Core AR features
AR Catching & AR+
- **Standard AR mode** places the wild Pokémon in the centre of the camera feed and tracks the device’s gyroscope and accelerometer for orientation.
- **AR+ mode** (2017 iOS / 2018 Android) anchors Pokémon to detected planes, renders them at canonical scale, and introduces an *awareness meter*—approach too quickly and the target may flee.<ref name="ARPlus2017"/>
GO Snapshot
Players can choose any caught Pokémon, place it on a detected surface, reposition it, and capture photos. Smeargle and special-event photobombs may appear after a snapshot session.<ref name="Snapshot2019"/>
In **Play Together**, Trainers feed, pet, and walk with their Buddy Pokémon rendered in real space; Shared AR syncs up to three buddies for group photos.<ref name="Buddy2019"/>
Reality Blending
Supported devices use depth APIs to let Pokémon move *behind* furniture or trees, improving realism through occlusion.<ref name="RealityBlending2020"/>
AR Mapping tasks
Field Research labelled **AR Mapping** asks Trainers to record short, anonymised videos of PokéStops; these scans refine Niantic’s 3-D maps and unlock in-game bonuses such as powered-up PokéStops.<ref name="RealityBlending2020"/>
Pokémon Playgrounds
An experimental feature that lets Trainers anchor Pokémon persistently at real-world landmarks for others to discover and photograph, enabled by Niantic’s Visual Positioning System.<ref name="Playgrounds2024"/>
Technology stack
| Layer | Implementation | Sources | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Device frameworks | ARKit plane-finding on iOS 11+ devices<ref name="ARKitDoc">https://developer.apple.com/documentation/arkit/tracking-and-visualizing-planes</ref> and ARCore Plane APIs on Android 7+ phones<ref name="ARCoreDoc">https://developers.google.com/ar/reference/java/com/google/ar/core/Plane</ref> | | Niantic Lightship ARDK | Visual Positioning System | Networking |
Gameplay impact
- **Immersion and creativity** – AR photography (#GOsnapshot), Reality Blending, and Playgrounds deepen the illusion that Pokémon coexist with the physical world.
- **Physical activity** – AR incentives encourage exploration; studies report increased daily step counts among active players.
- **Social connection** – Shared AR sessions and Playgrounds create collaborative in-person moments.
Challenges and limitations
- **Battery and processing load** – Continuous camera, sensor fusion, and real-time rendering drain power, especially on older devices.
- **Environmental constraints** – Very dim or over-bright settings reduce surface-tracking accuracy; textured, well-lit areas work best.<ref name="ARCoreDoc"/>
- **Accessibility** – Advanced features require ARKit-/ARCore-certified phones; players on legacy hardware can disable AR to maintain performance.
Influence on AR industry
Pokémon GO’s mainstream success validated mobile AR design, inspiring titles such as *Harry Potter: Wizards Unite* and *Jurassic World Alive* and driving developer interest in Unity’s AR Foundation. The game has been credited with popularising inside-out, marker-less tracking for consumer devices.<ref name="InsideOut">https://vrarwiki.com/wiki/Inside-out_tracking</ref>
Future outlook
Niantic has signalled plans for richer occlusion, weather-aware behaviours, and eventual headset support, leveraging its Large Geospatial Model and continued Lightship ARDK updates.<ref name="Lightship"/>
External links
References
<references/>
