Creator: Fabrizio Polo

Organization: Orbotix, Inc.

Description:

The Sphero Augmented Reality (AR) SDK is used to overlay a live view of the real world with virtual content. For gaming applications in particular, the goal is to render 3D content into the live scene so that it appears to be realistic and authentic. That’s where Sphero rolls in. Augmented reality gameplay with Sphero is simple and seamless for two reasons – Sphero is a robot, and Sphero is round. This allows us to employ a robotic fiducial, which provides never-before-seen freedom in characterizing the visual environment (since by definition a robot is a reprogrammable machine). With no auxiliary fiducial markers, Sphero can be effectively found and tracked at a distance, at any angle, and when partially obscured. A ball is the same from every angle, after all.

Sphero AR also has the ability to impact the real world, whereas traditional augmented reality is limited to the screen. Not only can we make Sphero interact with virtual objects (collect coins, run over monsters, etc.), but we can also make Sphero respond to these objects (bumping into invisible walls, hitting fictional oil slicks). Just wait till you’re holding Sphero in your hand, looking at an augmented reality character through the screen of your device. It’s pretty awesome.

Where to find it:

https://github.com/orbotix/Sphero-AR-SDK

Platforms:

Mobile, Internet of Things

Additional Screenshots: