Quarcom announces the AR development platform "Snapdragon Spaces"

Many companies are competing for people to use smart glasses to connect with each other in a immersive metahabath.However, at the moment, there are few common mechanisms that enable cooperation with smartphones at hand.The Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform for an expansion reality (AR) developer announced by Qualcomm Technologies is a aiming role in connecting smartphones and future smart glasses, which is to support an open web platform.is doing.

However, there is a problem.So far, Snapdragon Spaces is only compatible with some high -end "Android" smartphones that use Qualcomm chips, and does not support the "iPhone".

Qualcomm chips are already installed in most of the existing extended reality (AR) / virtual reality (VR) headsets, such as "Oculus Quest 2", "Microsoft HoloLens 2", and "HTC Vive Focus 3".Qualcomm has been trying to collaborate with VR / AR devices and smartphones in recent years.The number of companies, such as Google, is increasingly developing their own chips, and it is possible that interest in the realization of such cooperation is increasing.META, which has changed the company name from Facebook, and Microsoft, such as Microsoft, are working to ensure compatibility between devices between headsets and smartphones, and the movement of Qualcomm is such headset and smartphone.It seems to be the most important thing to do.

However, Snapdragon Spaces is not a tip.In the AR and VR fields, hardware was the strength of Qualcomm.The company seems to have positioned Snapdragon Spaces as a needed software to work with smartphone apps.The corresponding Snapdragon -based high -end smartphone (but the company has not yet revealed which chips will be supported) will be able to connect plug -in smart glasses and provide apps in existing app stores.It is also possible.Smart glass is a device that extends smartphones, and can enhance the user's experience using smartphone processing capabilities and cellular connections.

Lenovo, Motorola, OPPO, and small -US science (Xiaomi) will be the first hardware partner, and will launch a smartphone -connected AR glass using Snapdragon Spaces in 2022.Lenovo's "ThinkReality A3" is the first commercial device.Qualcomm also has a partner with Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile, and NTT DOCOMO, and will test the functions of each company with the appearance of corresponding smart glasses.

Qualcomm has also announced the acquisition of hand -tracking technology development company Clay Air.Along with the acquisition of WikiTude, which handles object recognition, the aim is to incorporate tools required for the development of all functions necessary to operate a series of AR -compatible glasses.Snapdragon Spaces is compatible with game engine "Unreal Engine" and "Unity Ar Foundation" and "Unity Mars", and complies with the VR and AR standard "OpenXR".

Qualcomm is testing this software with several early partners prior to the release of Snapdragon Spaces.Niantic, the developer of games such as "Pokemon Go" and "Pikmin Bloom", is a new AR experience using the Qualcomm platform through the unique software development platform released in May.Is to provide.

This article edited by Asahi Interactive for an article from overseas RED VENTURES for Japan.