Google's experimental Sprayscape app makes VR more like Snapchat
Imagine if you could share a virtual reality-ready 360-degree view of any moment, on the fly, as easily as you send a video on Snapchat.
That's the premise of Sprayscape, the latest experimental app from Google. Out today, the Android app makes VR selfies a reality — even if they are a bit blurry.
If you've ever tried to take a 360-degree photo or video with a smartphone before, then you know that capturing your surroundings perfectly is pretty much impossible. Sprayscape embraces this with its "perfectly imperfect" approach. Instead of creating an expertly stitched photo sphere, the app allows you to share an in-the-moment (and likely imperfect) look at what's around you.
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The app launches on an empty black sphere that you can fill with images by tapping on the screen. Sprayscape uses your phone's gyroscope to help capture your surroundings. But the app only captures the part of the frame you touch and it's far easier to capture a blurry view of what's around you than a clear one.
The resulting "scapes" are unfocused and blurry but easily shareable. Just send a link (the app requires you to log in to a Google account for sharing) and your friends can view your 360-degree creation either by dragging their finger around the frame, holding up their phone to view different parts of the image, or by popping it in a Cardboard viewer.
"We call it VR-ish. When you use Sprayscape, you are taking photos on a 360-degree sphere. When you view a scape you’re looking around media oriented to 360 space," the app's website explains.
The app comes to us via Android Experiments, which the company uses to highlight creative ways developers use Android to create new types of experiences, and Sprayscape, which was created internally at Google, certainly fits the bill.
Though we've seen other apps experiment with the "Snapchat for VR" concept before, Sprayscape offers a slightly more creative take on the idea. Still, it seems unlikely to be leaving Google's experimental labs anytime soon.
Topics Android Google Virtual Reality
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
