By: One of the great things about technology is that it is all around us. At times, this omnipresence can make us feel like technology rules our lives and that of our kids. Other times, you realize that technology has made a dramatic leap in terms of capability & that wow factor!
Augmented reality is a technology that we have been excited about the potential for some time. In fact, we even wrote a guide for parents to help them understand why augmented & virtual reality are such a big deal. However, there haven't been many applications that have allowed people to experience it in person.
It's one thing to talk about a new technology, it's quite another to see it come to life right before your eyes. Using your smartphone search and camera capabilities, you can spawn a number of animals right in your living. Read below to find out how.
The great thing about this augmented reality platform that Google has launched and integrated right into search is that their are a wide variety of animals: land animals, sea animals, big animals, small animals, animals that fly, and animals that travel on the ground.
Instructions to spawn virtual animals with your smartphone or tablet (no coding required):
1. Open up an Internet browser (Chrome or Internet Explorer or Safari) on your camera-enabled smartphone or tablet (Note: This will not work on your desktop or laptop computer)
2. Go to Google (https:/www.google.com)
3. Enter the name of the animal you're interested in virtually spawning virtually (ex. horse)
4. Scroll down until you find the box that says "Meet a life-sized horse up close"
5. Click on the button that says "View in 3D"
6. Move your smartphone back & forth as per the directions on the screen to create the bounding box for the animal to spawn
7. After a few seconds, enjoy the newly spanned life-sized animal through the screen on your smartphone or tablet
There are currently 30+ animals that are available using this augmented reality technology:
Augmented reality is a technology that we have been excited about the potential for some time. In fact, we even wrote a guide for parents to help them understand why augmented & virtual reality are such a big deal. However, there haven't been many applications that have allowed people to experience it in person.
It's one thing to talk about a new technology, it's quite another to see it come to life right before your eyes. Using your smartphone search and camera capabilities, you can spawn a number of animals right in your living. Read below to find out how.
The great thing about this augmented reality platform that Google has launched and integrated right into search is that their are a wide variety of animals: land animals, sea animals, big animals, small animals, animals that fly, and animals that travel on the ground.
Instructions to spawn virtual animals with your smartphone or tablet (no coding required):
1. Open up an Internet browser (Chrome or Internet Explorer or Safari) on your camera-enabled smartphone or tablet (Note: This will not work on your desktop or laptop computer)
2. Go to Google (https:/www.google.com)
3. Enter the name of the animal you're interested in virtually spawning virtually (ex. horse)
4. Scroll down until you find the box that says "Meet a life-sized horse up close"
5. Click on the button that says "View in 3D"
6. Move your smartphone back & forth as per the directions on the screen to create the bounding box for the animal to spawn
7. After a few seconds, enjoy the newly spanned life-sized animal through the screen on your smartphone or tablet
There are currently 30+ animals that are available using this augmented reality technology:
- Alligator
- Angler Fish
- Ball Python
- Brown Bear
- Cat
- Cheetah
- Deer
- Dog
- Duck
- Eagle
- Goat
- Hedgehog
- Horse
- Leopard
- Lion
- Macaw
- Octopus
- Panda
- Penguin
- Rabbit
- Raccoon
- Shark
- Shetland Pony
- Tiger
- Turtle
- Wolf
Once you've spawned these virtual life-sized animals, you can move them around the room. You can also use your fingers to pinch the animals to change their size and drag them around the room. They will stand on couches, tables and beds. Even though in real life, they would probably destroy these items instantly because of their weight.
One of the limitations of this technology is that you can't spawn multiple animals at the same time on a single smartphone.
In addition to the life-saved animal, there is also a knowledge panel that provides in-depth information about each animal which makes this a great learning tool.
More animals are being added to the platform all the time. So, check back often to see what new virtual animals that you can span real time on your smartphone.