Google’s ARCore and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched a preview of two new immersive AR experiences around Merlion Park and Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall in its Visit Singapore app, which will use both Unity and the ARCore Streetscape Geometry API, and the Visit Singapore app is available via the App Store and Google Play Store. The preview was shown at Google I/O 2023, which took place at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, on May 10th. With the new features, visitors will be able to embark on an immersive guided tour
Google launched the ARCore Geospatial API in 2022 to help developers create world-anchored experiences. The API provides access to global localization, the same technology that has been powering Live View in Google Maps since 2019. Based on Google’s Visual Positioning Service (VPS), developers can track the position and orientation.
Google’s AR and geospatial technologies have expanded travel with immersive and informative experiences when exploring a destination.
Miguel de Andrés-Clavera, Group Product Manager, Google Partner Innovations
It also uses a variety of AI techniques to match images from the scanned environment against our model of the world made up of billions of 3D points from Street View images. When a user points their camera, their device can determine where it is, which way it is pointed and where the AR content should appear.
Goh Kershing, senior vice president of Future Tourism at Singapore Tourism Board, believes that these kinds of innovative collaborations will set Singapore apart from other destinations, according to Travel Weekly Asia. One of the main tour highlights is at the Victoria Theater and Concert Hall. Visitors will be able to listen to a string quartet performing on top of the national monument.
“Google’s AR and geospatial technologies have expanded the possibilities of complementing travel experiences with highly immersive and informative experiences when exploring a destination,” Miguel de Andrés-Clavera, Group Product Manager, Google Partner Innovations said. “We’re thrilled to work with the Singapore Tourism Board as the first Geospatial trusted tester for travel, and harness the power of AR technology to augment the physical world and heighten the element of helpful surprises for travelers and local explorers of Singapore.”
As of today, the Visit Singapore app offers a preview with two AR experiences available near the Victoria Theatre & Concert Hall and Merlion Park. The launch with More places of interest will be available after the full launch, which is expected to happen by the end of the year.
“We hope to harness the power of AR technology to augment the physical world and heighten the element of helpful surprises for all travelers and local explorers of Singapore,” de Andrés-Clavera concluded.
