Google's library of AR animals grows, welcoming zebras, giraffes, chow chows, and more
Android users may miss out on Apple's "animoji" but they do get to enjoy Google's ever-growing zoo of augmented reality animals.
It started in mid-2019, when Google searches for a handful of animals on supported Android devices included a "View in 3D" result. Just over a year later, in August, the feature also came to the Google Arts & Culture app, with a specific focus on AR recreations of "ancient creatures."
Now, the library of animals has grown. Google confirmed on Friday that there's been 50 new additions to the library. These include more exotic animals, like giraffes and zebras, as well as more mundane livestock (pigs and cows), cats, and even a specific dog breed, the noble and beautiful chow chow. [Author's note: My first dog was a chow chow, so maybe I'm biased.]
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As you can see in the video Google shared, tapping the "View in 3D" link opens up a live view of the scene captured by your device's camera lens. Once you get the scene situated, the animal you searched for appears in "live" form.
Always entertaining.
If you have any kind of AR-ready Android device equipped with a camera, be sure to try this yourself. You can see the full library of animals available to scroll through at the bottom of the screen after you tap "View in 3D" on whatever you've searched.
Does this do anything meaningful? Nah. Is it a fun and cool way to set up weird photo opps around your home, especially if you have pets? Definitely.
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
