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Snap Spectacles Offer a Peek into All-day AR with New Geo-location Platform Update

March 17, 2025 From roadtovr

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, introduced its fifth-gen Spectacles AR glasses six months ago, and now the company is releasing a number of new features that aim to improve geo-located AR experiences.

Released in September 2024, Spectacles are still very much a developer kit—the AR glasses only have 45 minutes of standalone battery power—although Snap is one of the few companies out there actively engaging developers to build the sort of mainstay content you might find on the all-day consumer AR glasses of the near future.

While we’re not there yet, Snap announced that developers can start building Lenses (apps) integrating data from GPS, GNSS, compass heading, and custom locations, essentially giving devs access to geo-location data for better outdoor AR experiences.

Snap has highlighted a few sample Lenses to show off the integration, including Utopia Labs’ NavigatAR, which guide users with Snap Map Tiles, and Path Pioneer, which lets users create AR walking courses.

Geo-location data also helped Niantic bring multiplayer to Peridot Beyond, its AR pet simulator exclusively for Spectacles. The recent update also connects Spectacles with the mobile version of Peridot, allowing progression within the AR glasses experience to carry over to mobile.

Similarly, Snap has also worked with Wabisabi to integrate its machine learning model SnapML into Doggo Quest, the gamified dog-walking AR app, letting you overlay digital effects on your pooch as it tracks metrics such as routes and step counts.

Today’s update comes with a few more platform features too, including the ability to easily add leaderboards to Lenses, an AR keyboard for hand-tracked text input, and improved ability to open Lens links from messaging threads.

The update also features three new hand-tracking capabilities—phone detector to identify when a user has a phone in their hands, grab gesture, and refinements to targeting intent to reduce false positives while typing.

Additionally, Snap is kicking off a ‘Spectacles Community Challenges’ on April 1st that lets teams win cash prizes for submitting new or updating existing Lenses, which are judged on engagement, technical excellence, and Lens quality. The company says that each month it’s going to give out over $20,000 to the top five new Lenses, the top five updated Lenses, and top open source Lens.

This follows Snap’s recent bid to bring Spectacles to more than just developers. In January, Snap announced it was making the the fifth-gen device more affordable to students and teachers, bringing the price down to $594 for 12 months of subscription-free access, then $49.50 per month afterward for continued use of the headset.

While Snap’s Spectacles remain a developer-focused device, these updates signal the company’s long-term ambition for mainstream AR adoption, where it will notably be competing with companies like Meta, Apple and Google. Better geo-located experiences are undoubtedly a vital piece of the puzzle to making AR glasses a daily necessity rather than a niche tool.

Filed Under: AR apps, AR Design, AR News, News, XR Design & Development

Global Hackathon for Vision Pro Development, Vision Hack, Kicks Off Next Month

August 1, 2024 From roadtovr

Vision Hack is a forthcoming remote hackathon for developers building apps for visionOS. Open to all skill levels, the event is set to take place September 13–15th.

Guest Article by Cosmo Scharf

Cosmo Scharf is an Emmy-nominated product designer and entrepreneur with a decade of experience in XR. He co-founded Vision Hack and visionOS Dev Partners to support visionOS developers. Previously, Scharf created MovieBot, an AI-powered 3D animation app, and Mindshow, a VR platform for animated content creation. His also started VRLA, one of the world’s largest immersive technology expos.

Imagine building the first iPhone apps in 2008. That’s where we are with visionOS today. Vision Hack is your launchpad into the new frontier of spatial computing.

Over the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing the virtual reality industry evolve from a niche technology to a transformative medium. From the early days of clunky prototypes to the sleek, powerful devices we have today, the journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Now, with the introduction of Apple Vision Pro, we’re standing at the threshold of a new era.

As one of the organizers of Vision Hack, I’m thrilled to announce the launch of the first global visionOS hackathon. Scheduled for September 13–15th, this event represents a significant milestone in our industry’s progression. It’s an opportunity to explore and shape the future of spatial computing as Apple Vision Pro continues its global rollout.

Vision Hack is designed to be a truly immersive experience. We’re encouraging teams to communicate in Vision Pro itself using spatial Personas, in addition to Discord. This approach not only showcases the device’s capabilities but also provides participants with authentic, hands-on experience in visionOS development.

Our three-day program caters to both seasoned spatial computing developers and newcomers:

  • Day 1: Workshops and team formation
  • Day 2: Intensive development with mentorship from industry experts
  • Day 3: Development, project presentations, and awards

To foster collaboration while ensuring focused development, we’ve capped team sizes at 5 people each. Understanding the global nature of our community, we’re organizing local meetups in various cities so developers can connect in person.

While we highly recommend access to a Vision Pro for the full experience, it’s not a strict requirement for participation. However, developers will need a Mac with an Apple chip to run the visionOS simulator. This setup will enable meaningful participation even without the physical device.

The organizing team brings extensive experience from major VR expos (VRLA), Metaverse hackathons, and XR startups.

As spatial computing evolves, we believe early developer engagement is crucial in building a robust ecosystem. Vision Hack aims to play a key role in nurturing the visionOS developer community, potentially influencing the trajectory of spatial computing applications.

For developers keen on exploring visionOS, Vision Hack offers a unique opportunity to dive into this emerging platform. There’s a $25 registration fee, which helps us cover some of the event costs and ensures committed participation.

For companies interested in being at the forefront of spatial computing development, we offer various sponsorship opportunities. These partnerships not only support the event but also provide sponsors with direct access to a pool of talented developers working on cutting-edge spatial computing applications.

More details, registration information, and sponsorship opportunities can be found at visionoshackathon.com. We’re excited to see the innovative projects and ideas that will emerge from this event, and we look forward to welcoming you to the next chapter of spatial computing development.

Filed Under: Apple Vision Pro News & Reviews, XR Design & Development

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