Niantic brings hand tracking to 8th Wall platform

On June 1, 2019, provide augmented reality (AR) technology and create Pokemon GO'sNianticannounced the introduction of hand tracking to its8th Wallplatform, the company's suite of augmented reality (AR) tools for the web.

Hand tracking on the 8th Wall platform now allows developers to use hands, wrists and fingers in the same experience. According to the company, the range of 8th Wall's proprietary hand models extends to the area near the palm where a watch or bracelet would typically rest. Developers can also tweak each experience with dozens of attachment points, adaptive hand meshes, and camera pixel access for smoother skinning.

The new hand model contains 36 attachment points by default, distributed on the fingers, knuckles, wrist and palm. Each finger contains up to seven attachment points, one on the knuckle and one on the finger joint, allowing developers to control the position and rotation of objects attached to the hand. Niantic says these already-available attachment points will help save development time and enable developers to quickly anchor objects or experiences into users' hands.

User's Personalized Hand Mesh Dynamically creates a mesh for each user's hand so that objects properly attach to that hand. This feature allows developers to create experiences that automatically scale to the approximate size and volume of the user's hand.

The company added that the new hand tracking feature will power a wide range of experiences that use real-world physics, occlusion, or hand anchors, and will serve several purposes:

Immersive Interaction:Developers can build AR experiences that use the hand as an interface, allowing viewers to pick up, move, push and interact with virtual objects as if they were actually physically present. Such interactions can be used to create games, interactive activities or educational experiences.

Control puppet and hand masks:A user's hand can be transformed into something entirely new, such as a giant hand, a simple or complex puppet, or even a foam finger at a sporting event. The user's hands and fingers can control movement, providing new levels of immersion or personalization.

Special effect:Realize making the hand the basis of an experience, like holding a ball of light, releasing a laser beam from the tip of a finger, or turning a thumb into a lighter at a concert.

Virtual try-on:Try wearing rings, bracelets and watches that scale automatically to your personal proportions. According to the company, it's even possible to try on multiple items at once.

Because hand tracking in 8th Wall is built for the browser, developers can harness the power of the open web and connect real-time APIs into experiences to create even more engaging content.

The company notes that today's announcement is just the beginning of 8th Wall's hand-tracking tools, which Niantic will continue to iterate based on feedback from the developer community.

To learn about example projects from the Niantic project library, clickhere. To read the full release notes and documentation, clickhere. To learn more about Niantic, its 8th Wall platform, and its augmented reality solutions for web browsers, visit the company'swebsite.

Image/Video Credit: Niantic/8th Wall