Augmented Reality (AR) firm Metaio has launched a new version of its free Junaio AR browser for Android and iOS devices. It features an updated user interface offering an all-new visualization of nearby points-of-interest (POIs).
“The more natural we make AR, the more mobile users will see value and return to the experience,” said Metaio CTO, Peter Meier. “It’s clear that the next step for mobile AR is location-based information in devices like Google Glass, and we’re looking to the near future in our R&D.”
Junaio has been optimized and available for wearable devices like Glass since October of 2013, but the new visualization scheme, Metaio says, ensures that the user sees only the most relevant information to his or her surroundings, such as geo-tagged Instagram photos or tweets; the best places to catch a Taxi; the nearest entertainment locations; or the real-time positioning of public buses and trains.
Junaio combines GPS, image recognition, visual search and a cloud-based architecture to recognize and attach digital information to almost any object or environment in real-time. Non-developers can create their own AR “channels” and applications using the Metaio Creator tool, a drag-and-drop AR content management system. Junaio is also now compatible with other browsers such as Layar and Wikitude.