Google ARCore 1.7 Adds Advanced Face Tracking and Developer Tools
Google updates its ARCore platform with a detailed 468-point face mesh for front cameras and a new educational app to help developers build better augmented reality experiences.
Google releases ARCore 1.7, bringing a powerful Augmented Faces API to its mobile augmented reality platform. This new feature uses the front-facing camera to create a high-quality, 468-point 3D mesh of a user's face, allowing apps to overlay animated masks, glasses, and skin retouching effects without needing a dedicated depth sensor.
The update also focuses heavily on expanding the creative canvas for developers by adding animation support in Sceneform and introducing Shared Camera access. Shared Camera access allows users to pause their AR experience to take a standard photo and then seamlessly resume the augmented reality session.
Alongside the software update, Google launches the ARCore Elements app on the Play Store to teach developers and designers core AR principles. The lessons from this interactive guide, which cover everything from manipulating virtual objects to designing user interfaces, are also integrated directly into the ARCore SDK for Unity to help developers easily implement common AR interactions.