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Augmented reality app on the iPhone features a cool optical illusion

Updated Mar 3rd, 2018 1:39PM EST
Augmented Reality

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One of the more compelling features Apple introduced in iOS 11 was ARKit, a framework which allows developers to easily incorporate immersive augmented reality experiences into their apps. Hardly a surprise, Apple has been championing the benefits of augmented reality for quite some time, with Tim Cook going so far as to call the technology “big and profound” a few months back.

Since iOS 11 dropped this past fall, we’ve seen a number of truly fascinating applications of the technology. And while we wouldn’t go so far as to say that augmented reality on the iPhone has been a game-changer thus far, the potential is certainly there.

One of the more intriguing ARKit demos we’ve seen in recent memory comes courtesy of Peter Norrby, an artist based out of Sweden. The end result is something of an optical illusion as evidenced via the Twitter video below.

As to how it all came together, Norrby explained (via comments picked up by Mashable): “I’m using iPhone X with ARKit’s face-tracking to perform head-tracking in 3D.”

Incidentally, Norrby is planing to make his app — which is dubbed The Parallax View — available on the App Store for free. And if you’re curious as to the technical underpinnings of the app, Norrby said he’s planning on making the source code available to the public.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.