April 26, 2021 – 8th Wall, a provider of an augmented reality (AR) platform that makes it easy to build frictionless AR content for the mobile web (WebAR), has today announced an update to its AR engine with ‘Release 16’.
According to the company, the latest upgrade will offer a 50% improvement in accuracy of 8th Wall’s SLAM system, increased frame rate of up to 70% on some devices, more precise Image Targets, and smoother video recording.
Since its first full year in 2019, the 8th Wall platform has powered over 700 commercial experiences for several brands across industry verticals including sports and entertainment, CPG, retail, fashion and beauty, automotive and more, with WebAR activations powered by the platform helping to demonstrate real business value for companies.
World Effects
8th Wall’s SLAM system allows users to place interactive AR content inside a real-world environment using World Effects. With Release 16, the SLAM system is now 50% more accurate than before, with a frame rate that is up to 70% faster, depending on the device being used. This means reduced drift, jitter, and lag for a smoother and more stable experience, according to 8th Wall.
Image Targets
Improvements to the SLAM system also impact Image Target tracking, and 8th Wall projects that use images to trigger and track an AR experience will more accurately track Image Targets. Just like with World Effects, 8th Wall Image Target projects will now enjoy a significantly faster frame rate to create a smoother and more polished immersive experience.
Upgraded MediaRecorder
Last year 8th Wall introduced its in-browser video recording feature for WebAR projects. As part of today’s Release 16 announcement, the MediaRecorder also gets an upgrade. 8th Wall stated that users are able to enjoy a 41% increase in frame rate when using the all-new MediaRecorder, resulting in a smoother recording experience – something that the company anticipates will result in an increased likelihood of social sharing and virality of videos. Additionally, the improved MediaRecorder can be incorporated into all 8th Wall projects including World Effects, Image Targets and Face Effects projects.
Release 16 is now available to all 8th Wall developers and World Effects, Image Target and MediaRecorder projects using the most recent engine version will immediately benefit from these updates. Developers can also add the all-new MediaRecorder into projects by cloning the Face Effects Sample Project from 8th Wall’s Project Library.
For more information on 8th Wall’s WebAR platform and to sign up for a 14-day free trial, please visit the company’s website.
Image / video credit: 8th Wall / YouTube
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.