Mozilla has just extended its expertise from the web browsing domain and onto AR development. The company had only yesterday, launched its first app for AR that is aimed at being utilized for the iOS platform and has been made to fulfil the purpose of opening up WebXR applications as well as other open web technologies.
The new AR application from Mozilla is being called the WebXR Viewer. Essentially, the program contains many AR apps that are meant to demonstrate the technology in the real world. Users will be able to interact with their own WebXR creations and also play around with other demonstrations, of which involve a floating tea pot as well as holographic silhouettes that can be pinned to the user’s surroundings.
Mozilla has taken the WebVR platform and extended its capabilities to include augmented reality. The idea was first introduced back in October and it is only now that the innovation has reached fruition. Since iOS now supports AR and VR development capabilities, Mozilla has been able to take advantage of the OS using Apple’s ARKit framework. This should make it easier for developers to create new applications and games and make them as sophisticated as possible without complicating the process, thanks to the years of improvement that augmented reality has so far reached. With WebXR, we will now be able to see more augmented reality-oriented browsing experiences on desktops as well. Making AR apps for the browser also now becomes simpler, since knowledge of JavaScript and Firefox is all that is needed.
The application won’t just have its use in iOS but will also be accessible on Android as well through the WebARonARCore APK. Right now, since the tools are only just readily available, Mozilla has created the application for developers only so that the app stores can be populated with new AR-based apps. With such leaps in creating simpler ways of accessing and creating mixed reality content, it is going to be a lot easier for entry level developers to go straight to making AR content, since nowadays kids as young as 13 are able to enter the field and be well-equipped to make MR applications.
It is an interesting time for Mixed Reality, as it spreads through different operating systems and devices. While this is only the beginning, we can expect there to a few quite a few new developments in this space over the next few years.
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