Apple could be working on augmented reality glasses to make ARKit even better

Apple is bringing augmented reality to the masses this fall with its ARKit developer platform, but that might just be the starting point.

A new patent surfaced by Patently Apple shows evidence of a separate augmented reality gadget in the works that could supplement the platform.

The filing describes how a device would be used to overlay digital information onto the real world. Developers could potentially use this technology to highlight nearby "points of interest" on a mobile device screen when it's held up in front of you.

But what's perhaps most striking about this new patent is that Apple has outlined a scenario that would require people to wear a headset in order to view the augmented reality images.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

There aren't many details about the headset hidden in the patent, so we have to use this really bad patent drawing to glean some insight. The AR hardware in the sketch looks to be more in the vein of Google Glass than the Microsoft's HoloLens, which makes sense if it's meant to be used while interacting with the world at large, as the patent describes it as a "video-see-through head-mounted display (HMD)".

The HMD would be equipped with a camera, which would record the user's environment and track the position of their own fingers and hands, so that they could interact with the digital aspects of the AR scene in front of them.

This type of interactive functionality could be even more groundbreaking than the exciting developments we're already seeing with the ARKit projects leaking from developers ahead of the iOS 11 launch for one simple reason: Your hands are free to control the augmented world in front of you. ARKit is undeniably cool, but it's instantly limited by having to view the digital renderings through an iPhone screen. The HMD would eliminate this issue.

Apple has been fairly open about its interest in AR technology, and has long been rumored to be developing a new device using the technology. In a recent interview, Apple CEO Tim Cook said it will undoubtedly "become very big," adding that augmented reality has the potential to change the world just like the smartphone.

The company has invested accordingly, purchasing AR pioneer Metaio in 2015 and eye-tracking company SensoMotoric Instruments earlier this year.

We can't count on a near future filled with Apple AR gear just yet. This is just a patent, so we may never see this technology beyond what's highlighted in the filing. All signs point to big AR developments on the horizon from Apple, though, so keep your eyes peeled for new developments. You might be reading it in AR sooner than you think.