8th Wall, a subsidiary of Niantic and a provider of a web-based augmented reality (WebAR) development platform, has recently unveiled a series of unique holiday experiences that have been created using 8th Wall’s 2023 releases to demonstrate some of the new tools and updates that have been made available to its WebAR platform throughout 2023.
Ask Santa Anything: Sky Effects + World Tracking with Inworld AI
At the beginning of the year, 8th Wall made an announcement about the integration of Sky Effects and World Tracking, which allows for the transformation of the entire world into an augmented reality (AR) canvas. This integration is a groundbreaking development in the industry as it enables developers to create AR experiences both in the sky and on surfaces simultaneously, eliminating the need to choose between the two.
The new Our ‘Ask Santa Anything’ experience demonstrates this by combining Sky Effects and World Tracking with the Inworld AI Integration Module to bring a visit from Santa’s into any space. Audiences can see Santa appear in the sky and land in the world in front of them to start an interactive experience with Santa.
Niantic Holiday Card: personalized experiences with GenAI Modules
In 2023, 8th Wall introduced the GenAI Modules, which combine Generative AI with WebAR using Open AI. These modules enable developers to easily create dynamic and interactive AR experiences without the need for backend work, by utilizing Open AI’s ChatGPT or DALL-E tools.
During the festive season, 8th Wall has integrated Image Targets and their 8th Wall GenAI Module to develop the Niantic Holiday Card. This interactive feature allows users to craft customized greeting cards by responding to creative prompts that dynamically alter the background scene.
Capture an “Elfie”: immersive holiday experiences with improved facial effects.
During the year, the company also introduced significant updates to its Face Effects tools, aiming to enhance the realism of its WebAR filters. These updates encompassed various new features such as additional attachment points, toggles for face morphing, improved face tracking, and the inclusion of ear attachment points, enabling more precise and authentic AR transformations.
Using these characteristics, 8th Wall developed ‘Take an Elfie’, a WebAR encounter fueled by these improved Face Effects that convert users into an elf, which they can subsequently share on social media.
Holiday Hands: Create Interactive experiences with all-new Hand Tracking
This year, 8th Wall augmented its Human AR suite of tools and added a Hand Tracking capability. This feature enables users to develop experiences that involve the use of hands, wrists, and fingers, presenting various opportunities for seamless and instinctive interaction in WebAR.
In order to mark the launch, the company developed a Holiday Hands activity that merges the principles of physics and Hand Tracking. This interactive game allows users to use their gloved hand to move around ornaments inspired by 8th Wall.
$1,000 Cash Prize with the 8th Wall Holiday Developer Challenge
Developers, brands, and agencies can use 8th Wall’s tools to create their own memorable WebAR campaigns, whether for the holiday season, e-commerce experiences, virtual try on, and more.
To further celebrate, 8th Wall has also announced that it is holding a new ‘8th Wall Holiday Developer Challenge’ that encourages developers to craft engaging holiday-themed WebAR experiences that employ the many tools and features that its platform offers.
event.Info + Ideation session on Thursday, December 7 at 11AM Pacific Time. The winner of the challenge will receive a USD $1,000 cash reward, as well as the exclusive opportunity for a 1:1 meeting with Niantic Staff. Plus, the winning WebAR experience will be showcased on the 8th Wall homepage. Additionally, there will be three runner-up prizes of USD $500 each for the next best submissions. To learn more, click here.
To access additional details about 8th Wall and its tools for crafting and developing WebAR experiences, kindly explore the company’s website for comprehensive information.
