This is how Apple's ARKit is about to change how everyone uses the iPhone
Even if you've seen Apple's ARKit in action, there's a chance you're still not convinced it'll mean much for you. That's all about to change thanks to a new demonstration of its power recently posted on Twitter.
London-based developer Andrew Hart used ARKit with Apple's CoreLocation to create a version of Maps that puts guidance arrows and pushpins over the real world. And it's brilliant.
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As the video shows, Hart types in a location in the normal Maps search interface and is then taken to a live street view with massive virtual arrows and paths pointing the way toward his destination.
Sure, we're all accustomed to using maps apps on our smartphones to find our way in the real world, but orientation and matching map data to the real world can sometimes be tricky. By slapping giant arrows over the real world in AR, usage of Maps would likely skyrocket simply from increased ease of use.
Hart plans to post the code on Github later this week. And while Apple has shown off its own AR demos in the past that have indicated such city AR overlay possibilities, by showing how it might actually be executed in Maps, Hart is helping to ramp up developer excitement around ARKit even more than before. ARKit-powered apps will start showing up for users this fall, when its native environment, iOS 11, is officially released as a non-beta download for all.
