Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) unveiled its Augmented Reality Extension for the Unity gaming engine, enabling Android developers to create richer, more interactive smartphone games while reducing development cycles. Available for download as a beta release from Unity Technologies' fledgling Asset Store as well as Qualcomm's developer portal, developer.qualcomm.com/ar the Extension is built on Qualcomm's existing AR platform for Android, with support for both 2D and 3D Android games. Devs can leverage the Unity tools to design apps for Qualcomm's 2010 Augumented Reality Developer Challenge, launched Monday--open to games, educational tools, multimedia solutions and related efforts, the contest will award $200,000 in total prize money. Click here for details.
Qualcomm first introduced its AR platform and accompanying software development kit at its Uplinq 2010 conference in June, promising developers the tools to build applications blurring the lines between cyberspace and its real-world counterpart. Augmented reality solutions enable developers to superimpose computer-generated 3D content over live camera views of the physical environment, resulting in more intuitive and immersive games, location-based solutions and related applications. Initially optimized for Google's Android mobile operating system, the Qualcomm SDK is based on computer vision technology acquired from Imagination Computer Services GmbH--download it here.
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