Introduction

In this tutorial, we're going to delve into the exciting field of spatial computing and its implementation within Augmented Reality (AR) applications. Spatial computing is a form of computing where humans interact with a digital world that's integrated into their physical space.

You will learn about the key sensor technologies used in spatial mapping, understand how they help digital devices perceive the world, and how to incorporate them into your AR applications.

Prerequisites:
- Basic understanding of programming concepts
- Familiarity with AR development would be beneficial but is not necessary

Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding Sensor Technologies:

Spatial computing involves the use of various sensor technologies like depth sensors, cameras, and accelerometers. These sensors enable your device to understand its environment, such as identifying obstacles, mapping the environment, and tracking movements.

Incorporating Sensor Technologies into AR Applications:

After understanding the sensor technologies, the next step is to incorporate this knowledge into AR applications. This integration allows digital objects to interact realistically with the environment.

Best Practices:
- Always test your AR applications in different environments to ensure they work well with varying lighting conditions and physical spaces.
- Keep up to date with the latest advancements in sensor technologies and AR libraries.

Code Examples

Here's a basic example of how to use the ARKit framework in Swift to detect horizontal planes in an AR application:

import ARKit

class ViewController: UIViewController, ARSCNViewDelegate {
    @IBOutlet var sceneView: ARSCNView!

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        sceneView.delegate = self
    }

    override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
        super.viewWillAppear(animated)

        let configuration = ARWorldTrackingConfiguration()
        configuration.planeDetection = .horizontal
        sceneView.session.run(configuration)
    }
}

In this code snippet:
- We import the ARKit framework.
- Define a ViewController class that conforms to the ARSCNViewDelegate protocol.
- In the viewWillAppear function, we create an instance of ARWorldTrackingConfiguration and set its planeDetection property to .horizontal. This tells the AR session to detect horizontal planes in the camera's view.

Summary

In this tutorial, we've learned about spatial computing and how it plays a crucial role in AR applications. We've discussed the sensor technologies that enable spatial computing and how to incorporate them into your AR applications.

Practice Exercises

1. Create an AR application that detects vertical planes in the environment.

   • Tip: Use the .vertical value for the planeDetection property of ARWorldTrackingConfiguration.

2. Build an AR application that places a digital object on a detected plane.

   • Tip: Use the hitTest method of ARSCNView to find the intersection of a specified point in the camera's view and a detected plane.

Additional Resources

• ARKit Documentation
• ARCore Documentation
• Unity AR Foundation Documentation