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Apple’s ARKit is going to make CGI cheaper and easier than you could imagine

Published Aug 1st, 2017 11:12PM EDT
iOS 11 ARKit Movie Demo

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The more time developers spend with Apple’s newly released augmented reality platform built into iOS 11, the clearer it is that Apple AR will be better than anything the competition has to offer. We’ve already seen a variety of apps developed with ARKit, including immersive games, but also apps that may redefine the way we use our smartphones once iOS 11 is released and these apps become public. But a developer found a different use for Apple’s AR platform for the iPhone: Special effects in movies.

Nobody seems to mind the autonomous soldier robot patrolling the streets of a city in the video below, even though that’s a scary sight. That’s because nobody else except the person recording the video can see the robot and his friends. It’s all possible thanks to ARKit, and it looks amazing:

Plenty of people use the iPhone to record movies and commercials, and ARKit could help with the deployment of some of these CGI elements in complex film scenes for added effects.

Sure, the shaky hand-camera will give away the fact that it’s all filmed on a phone. But there are ways of fixing that. Also, experienced professionals will be able to tell that the robot isn’t real — then again, who in their right mind could think that armed robot actually exists.

But this concept goes to show, once again, that Apple’s ARKit is a lot more powerful than we thought. And ARKit apps will be available on all iOS devices that can run iOS 11, not just the latest iPhones that Apple is about to launch.

Chris Smith Senior Writer

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.