Augmented Reality (AR) firm metaio has launched its Unifeye Mobile Software Development Kit (SDK) 2.1, with new features and functionality taking full advantage of the iPhone OS 4.0 camera access API, to create image-based AR experiences on the iPhone. metaio says the software is the world`s first and only SDK for creating mobile AR apps that supports all major platforms, including Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, and now, iPhone including image-processing. The feature is already available in metaio’s junaio AR browser.
“With Apples inclusion of access to the live camera data, we can now utilize our mobile SDK to allow developers and brands to take full advantage of augmented reality experiences on the iPhone,” says metaio CTO, Peter Meier. Until today, developers were limited in creating rich and interactive augmented reality experiences on the iPhone due to restricted access to the live camera data in the iPhone SDK.
“The lack of image-based recognition has led to a proliferation of augmented reality apps using GPS as the only tracking mechanism, which made certain experiences impossible. Now, not only may the user obtain information on nearby POIs like shops, restaurants or train stations, but also the camera’s eye is now able to identify objects and to ‘glue’ object specific real-time, dynamic, social and 3D information onto the object itself.” 
metaio says that camera access is the next step towards an ever-present and highly accurate information overlay on the real things around us, and describes the future prospects of this augmented vision as “tremendous”, adding that useful and entertaining information can be called up, based on places or objects around the user. Multimedia experiences can be triggered by images, product packages, signs, posters, magazines or newspaper pages or any other object around the user. Ratings, tips, affiliates and other e-commerce functions can be displayed on real products. Advertisers can augment their print ads with games or added displays. Museums could offer an AR guided tour of their treasures.
