SPRXmobile, the startup behind Layar, the mobile augmented reality browser for Android, is moving fast. Barely three weeks after launching its application to much fanfare, it is opening up its platform by handing out keys for its just launched API to a select number of developers. (See my video interview with the company’s co-founder Raimo van der Klein for more context). Interested parties will need to fill out a request form, which should be available in about half an hour by following this link, and the company will subsequently handpick 50 developers and provide them with the necessary documentation, tools and a test environment for third-party layers.
Layar is far from the only player in the mobile AR browser market, which is shaping up to be an interesting field as devices and the operating systems they run see technological advances at an ever-increasing speed. Our friends over at Venturebeat recently published a great piece about AR browsers and listed Layar alongside similar tools like Tonchidot’s Sekai Camera and Mobilizy’s WikiTude. Even IBM is playing around with mobile AR apps.
But ultimately, it will always come down to supporting as many platforms as soon as possible without neglecting the content part of the equation. Without a decent amount of usable layers, none of these AR browsers are going to see mainstream adoption any time soon, and Layar is the first to attempt luring third-party developers into creating layers on top of their system by means of an extensive API. In my opinion, it’s a logical step to take, and I’m curious to see if there will be enough developer interest.
To be continued.
very cool
I’m reckoning that standardisation on platforms, based on the fact that over a third of the average web page is advertisements, do we really want this sort of thing cluttering up our vision?
take THAT apple, the iphone can’t do this!
Actually it can now that the 3GS iPhone adds a compass. And i bet Raimo is already working on, or at least sketching the outlines, for an iPhone version of Layar
Should be out end of this Summer, actually.
No, it cant, because apple havnt supplied a video api, and unofficial apis arnt allowed to be used in apps for sale.
I have heard this before. New tech, better than last, changing industry. I bet I will hear the same thing next year. Wow, we have barely improved things from years ago. That’s the way to make money – give somebody something that is just good enough to peak interest. Then make something just a little better next year (add a new button, change the layout). It isn’t better, they just made scrambled eggs and told people that sunny side up is the new and improved version. Meanwhile it is just the same thing. Then people ohh and ahh over the change.
Since when has there EVER been an augmented reality browser of any sort on any platform ever before?
When is it coming to the US? Ever?
We will announce our global roll-out plan on the 17th of August
Very nice! I go from not hearing anything about AR-Browser to now knowing about this and wikitude from the Mobilizy guys (http://www.mobilizy.com/).
I had placed a comment here earlier and it was deleted? Why?
Unclear, perhaps caught up in the spam filter. Can you try again?
Cool, and I wish them success.
But Id rather have an open AR-standard where streams of data from multiple independent sources can be viewed at the same time.
Like IRC channels presented as togglable photoshop-style layers.
Good move by Layar especially if they rattle the dev cages and get enough people to take them up on their open platform. The biggest problem I see with AR right now is the fact there will be hundreds of competing layers out there, all asking for the limited amount of engaged participants in the space to come play with it. One layer to rule them all is the way to go, provided its good enough.
Won’t belong before the mother of all layer players gets on the scene though.. Google.
hehe layer players..
SPRX Mobile used to work with Mobilizy before they launched Layars. What is the difference between Layars and Wikitude?
Well, if they want more Layers, they should set an open standard, and open it up to the public completely. In under a year, if popular enough, everything could change.
I’d imagine a “user post” layer would be cool, so people could make notes about things in the physical world, or leave AR messages for other people who encounter the same location.
Another layer could be for finding friends, in close proximity to you… Just look through the screen and the phone will point you in the right direction, or just tell you where everyone is.
The possibilities are LIMITLESS… especially if you create new types of layers, Public, Private, and shared. So each user can manipulate their own versions of the AR world.