Imagine peering through a lens and instantly being able to toggle, transform and overlay items within your immediate surroundings; in a nutshell, that’s what AR has to offer, and according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg—mass-consumer adoption may not be as far away as we think.
Imagine peering through a lens and instantly being able to toggle, transform and overlay items within your immediate surroundings; in a nutshell, that’s what AR has to offer, and according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg—mass-consumer adoption may not be as far away as we think.
“The first augmented reality platform that becomes mainstream isn’t going to be glasses, it’s going to be cameras,” stated Zuckerberg at Facebook’s annual F8 conference.
With smartphone cameras already within the clutches of 77% of America, Zuckerberg tag-teamed his prior announcement upon unveiling Facebook’s first ever open AR offering—the Camera Effects Platform.
Zuckerberg states that other social platforms like Snapchat have been notably keeping their AR tools and creations in-house, whereas Facebook plans to distinguish its newest camera offering by dressing it as an open-platform.
“Self-expression needs more than the effects we create for them internally, the power is in the hands of the users,” Zuckerberg stated.
As of 4/20, Facebook’s new Camera Effects Platform is available in beta and is designed to enlist an army of independent developers to create limitless AR moments—not to mention the additional AR applications available for brands that may be more cost-effective than complicated initiatives ran in the past.
Facebook’s new Camera Effects Platform will include two main creative tools: Frame Studio, and AR studio.
Frame Studio is a web-based tool that will allow anyone with a Facebook profile or page to design frames to overlay on pictures and videos. Facebook also states that all frames designed in the Frame Studio will immediately be available to those in your friend’s list or fans of a page, depending on your in-platform share settings. Additionally, all frames will be required to abide by Facebook’s guidelines and won’t allow for any branding or advertising unless pre-approved.
AR Studio, an augmented reality authoring tool, is now in closed beta for Mac. According to Facebook, the objective of AR studio is to allow artists and developers the tools to build their own animated masks, frames and interactive effects—all designed to respond to motion, interactions during Live broadcasts, and third-party data. Additionally, all effects created and approved under Facebook’s guidelines will be available for implementation on photos, videos, and live broadcasts.
Differing from Snapchat, Facebook’s newest AR offering will allow users from all backgrounds, cultures and artistic dimensions to both design and implement virtual overlays and interactive toggles in real-time to their everyday lives.
Outside of creating just static filters and masks Zuckerberg sees a realm of commerce saturated with opportunity.
For example, like that forest green paint-swatch for your patio? Use your camera to display it on your walls at home and purchase when satisfied– sponsored by Home Depot. Or how about that dress you saw that you didn’t think would match your shoes? Step in front of the mirror, point your camera, and voila, the dress is displayed and the decision is yours– sponsored by Nordstrom.
Though Facebook will eventually monetize the platform, Zuckerberg concluded the platform unveiling by stating, “We are focused on making this product great for people before introducing paid ways for businesses to participate”—meaning trademark and branding inclusions will likely be up for application once the product is released from beta.
Essentially, what Facebook’s newest platform has to offer is an open-ended array of creative moments ready to be capitalized on by both developers and businesses looking to create interactive user experiences.
