By Devanshi Saxena
NASA has launched a new application in collaboration with Google to enable the ordinary people to have an experience of being in space. The app brings the mysteries of space into a users room and allows them to experience something they have never experienced before.
Leveraging AR for an immersive experience
The app allows the users to get a feel of being in spacecraft and satellites like the Curiosity Mars Rover, Juno, Cassini, and Voyager. The users can also check out NASAs 70m Deep Space Network Dish. There are plans to extend this feature to more spacecraft soon.
The application leverages the principles of Augmented Reality. This gives the user an illusion of being in the spacecraft. The app uses Googles ARCore technology to bring 3-D spacecraft into the users device using native mobile augmented reality. It provides the user with a realistic visualisation of the images captured by explorers. This helps the users visualise the areas of space where no man has ever been before and gain a better insight into the mysteries that have been uncovered by the missions undertaken by NASA over the years.
Present status
The application has been designed for the Android platform as of now. The makers intend to further expand their user base by improving the apps compatibility, particularly for iOS users. The app would be introduced on iOS devices very soon.
To create the experience, the app uses high-quality 3-D models of robotic space explorers and rovers to produce the image for the user. The 3-D models used in this technology are the same as that used by the older NASA app Spacecraft 3-D. But, this comes with a breakthrough modification. One of the most significant issues with Spacecraft 3-D was the need for an extra printed image called a target or marker for better results. This problem has been negated in this new app. We no longer need such targets and markers in the newly developed Spacecraft AR app.
The app allows users to select from the pool of missions available according to their leisure. Once the app detects a flat surface, users can simply tap the screen to place the spacecraft in front of them. The user can then take photos from the app and get in-depth information about every mission. The app also allows the user to view the spacecraft and its surroundings.
What next?
If the app is marketed and distributed properly, it can become a major hit. The high-quality images provide the users with a vivid visualisation of space as viewed by the various explorers sent by NASA. It also helps NASA by publicising their achievements. It enables the ordinary public to gain an insight into a small section of their work. As of now, the makers of the app face the challenge of making it compatible across all platforms. At the same time, they must work on increasing the number of options for the users. This would help in engaging the users better.