Spatial anchors: Difference between revisions
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=== Gaming and entertainment === | === Gaming and entertainment === | ||
'''Multiplayer gaming''' uses spatial anchors for co-located multiplayer games, where players in the same physical room can interact with a shared virtual world. In titles like '''Demeo''', a virtual game board is anchored to a physical table, allowing multiple players to see and interact with the same game state from their unique perspectives.<ref name="MetaDesignAnchors"/> Other notable examples include the robot battle game '''BAM''' and the AR dueling game '''Saber City'''.<ref name="Reddit_Apps">[https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/17fr7nc/apps_and_games_with_shared_spatial_anchors/ Reddit – Apps and Games with Shared Spatial Anchors]</ref> | '''Multiplayer gaming''' uses spatial anchors for co-located multiplayer games, where players in the same physical room can interact with a shared virtual world. In titles like '''[[Demeo]]''', a virtual game board is anchored to a physical table, allowing multiple players to see and interact with the same game state from their unique perspectives.<ref name="MetaDesignAnchors"/> Other notable examples include the robot battle game '''[[BAM]]''' and the AR dueling game '''[[Saber City]]'''.<ref name="Reddit_Apps">[https://www.reddit.com/r/OculusQuest/comments/17fr7nc/apps_and_games_with_shared_spatial_anchors/ Reddit – Apps and Games with Shared Spatial Anchors]</ref> | ||
'''Pokemon Go''' by Niantic uses AR+ Mode with ARCore/ARKit to anchor Pokemon to physical locations with centimeter accuracy through their Visual Positioning System. The '''Pokemon Playgrounds''' feature enables shared persistent AR experiences at PokéStops and Gyms where trainers can place Pokemon for others to discover. With 91+ million active players and 176+ million copies sold, Pokemon Go demonstrated the viability of world-scale AR gaming.<ref name="PokemonPlaygrounds">[https://nianticlabs.com/news/pokemon-playgrounds Niantic Labs – Pokemon Playgrounds Announcement]</ref> | '''[[Pokemon Go]]''' by Niantic uses AR+ Mode with ARCore/ARKit to anchor Pokemon to physical locations with centimeter accuracy through their Visual Positioning System. The '''Pokemon Playgrounds''' feature enables shared persistent AR experiences at PokéStops and Gyms where trainers can place Pokemon for others to discover. With 91+ million active players and 176+ million copies sold, Pokemon Go demonstrated the viability of world-scale AR gaming.<ref name="PokemonPlaygrounds">[https://nianticlabs.com/news/pokemon-playgrounds Niantic Labs – Pokemon Playgrounds Announcement]</ref> | ||
'''Minecraft Earth''' utilized Azure Spatial Anchors and PlayFab integration to create life-size AR experiences, allowing players to build and share persistent structures in the real world. The game featured "Adventures"-small slices of Minecraft worlds rendered in life-size AR on sidewalks and parks. Though later retired, it demonstrated the technical feasibility of large-scale collaborative AR gaming.<ref name="MinecraftEarth">[https://news.microsoft.com/features/minecraft-earth-azure-spatial-anchors/ Microsoft News – Minecraft Earth Technology]</ref> | '''[[Minecraft Earth]]''' utilized Azure Spatial Anchors and PlayFab integration to create life-size AR experiences, allowing players to build and share persistent structures in the real world. The game featured "Adventures"-small slices of Minecraft worlds rendered in life-size AR on sidewalks and parks. Though later retired, it demonstrated the technical feasibility of large-scale collaborative AR gaming.<ref name="MinecraftEarth">[https://news.microsoft.com/features/minecraft-earth-azure-spatial-anchors/ Microsoft News – Minecraft Earth Technology]</ref> | ||
=== Collaborative design and productivity === | === Collaborative design and productivity === | ||
Applications such as '''Spatial''' and '''Arkio''' leverage shared anchors to create a common virtual space where multiple users can co-create, manipulate, and review 3D models and designs in real-time. This effectively turns any room into a collaborative digital studio, enhancing creative and professional workflows.<ref name="Reddit_Apps"/> '''ShapesXR''' implements real-time co-building with shadows and copy-paste functionality between spaces using shared spatial anchors.<ref name="ShapesXR">[https://www.shapesxr.com/post/update-shadows-shared-spatial-anchors-copy-and-paste-between-spaces ShapesXR – Shared Spatial Anchors Update]</ref> | Applications such as '''[[Spatial]]''' and '''[[Arkio]]''' leverage shared anchors to create a common virtual space where multiple users can co-create, manipulate, and review 3D models and designs in real-time. This effectively turns any room into a collaborative digital studio, enhancing creative and professional workflows.<ref name="Reddit_Apps"/> '''[[ShapesXR]]''' implements real-time co-building with shadows and copy-paste functionality between spaces using shared spatial anchors.<ref name="ShapesXR">[https://www.shapesxr.com/post/update-shadows-shared-spatial-anchors-copy-and-paste-between-spaces ShapesXR – Shared Spatial Anchors Update]</ref> | ||
=== Retail and commerce === | === Retail and commerce === | ||
'''IKEA Place''' launched in September 2017 as one of the first major ARKit implementations, featuring 2,000+ true-to-scale 3D furniture models with 98% accuracy. The app uses spatial anchors to place virtual furniture persistently in homes with updated features including multi-placement (place multiple items simultaneously), room sets (experience entire rooms with handpicked furniture), visual search (point camera at furniture to find similar IKEA products), and wishlist and sharing capabilities.<ref name="IKEAPlace">[https://www.ikea.com/global/en/newsroom/innovation/ikea-launches-ikea-place IKEA – IKEA Place Launch Announcement]</ref> | '''[[IKEA Place]]''' launched in September 2017 as one of the first major ARKit implementations, featuring 2,000+ true-to-scale 3D furniture models with 98% accuracy. The app uses spatial anchors to place virtual furniture persistently in homes with updated features including multi-placement (place multiple items simultaneously), room sets (experience entire rooms with handpicked furniture), visual search (point camera at furniture to find similar IKEA products), and wishlist and sharing capabilities.<ref name="IKEAPlace">[https://www.ikea.com/global/en/newsroom/innovation/ikea-launches-ikea-place IKEA – IKEA Place Launch Announcement]</ref> | ||
Built in just seven weeks, IKEA Place uses 3D renders from existing catalogs. Michael Valdsgaard (Digital Transformation Leader) commented: "Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster." The application demonstrates how spatial anchors enable consumers to visualize products in their actual spaces before purchase, reducing return rates and improving purchase confidence.<ref name="IKEAPlace"/> | Built in just seven weeks, IKEA Place uses 3D renders from existing catalogs. Michael Valdsgaard (Digital Transformation Leader) commented: "Augmented reality and virtual reality will be a total game changer for retail in the same way as the internet. Only this time, much faster." The application demonstrates how spatial anchors enable consumers to visualize products in their actual spaces before purchase, reducing return rates and improving purchase confidence.<ref name="IKEAPlace"/> | ||
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=== Industrial and enterprise === | === Industrial and enterprise === | ||
'''Remote assistance and maintenance:''' In industrial settings, an on-site technician wearing an AR headset can share their view with a remote expert. The expert can then place spatially anchored instructions, diagrams, or annotations directly onto the real-world machinery. '''ThyssenKrupp Elevator Service''' uses HoloLens with Azure Spatial Anchors, enabling remote experts to mark up machinery with virtual annotations visible to on-site technicians. This implementation reduced maintenance time by approximately 30%. Technicians see instructions anchored to specific machine parts, reducing errors and improving first-time fix rates.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | '''[[Remote assistance and maintenance]]:''' In industrial settings, an on-site technician wearing an AR headset can share their view with a remote expert. The expert can then place spatially anchored instructions, diagrams, or annotations directly onto the real-world machinery. '''ThyssenKrupp Elevator Service''' uses HoloLens with Azure Spatial Anchors, enabling remote experts to mark up machinery with virtual annotations visible to on-site technicians. This implementation reduced maintenance time by approximately 30%. Technicians see instructions anchored to specific machine parts, reducing errors and improving first-time fix rates.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | ||
'''Warehouse logistics:''' '''Honeywell Connected Plant''' projects virtual arrows onto warehouse floors for optimized picking paths, improving order picking speed by approximately 25%. The persistence of spatial anchors ensures arrows remain accurate across shifts, and the solution has been deployed across multiple warehouse locations demonstrating scalability.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | '''[[Warehouse logistics]]:''' '''[[Honeywell Connected Plant]]''' projects virtual arrows onto warehouse floors for optimized picking paths, improving order picking speed by approximately 25%. The persistence of spatial anchors ensures arrows remain accurate across shifts, and the solution has been deployed across multiple warehouse locations demonstrating scalability.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | ||
'''Worker training:''' Complex procedures can be taught more effectively by anchoring step-by-step holographic instructions to specific parts of a machine or workspace. This allows trainees to learn in a hands-on, contextually relevant manner without risk to live equipment. Factory floor visualization enables workers to visualize machine status, navigate facilities, and access real-time IoT data overlaid on equipment.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | '''[[Worker training]]:''' Complex procedures can be taught more effectively by anchoring step-by-step holographic instructions to specific parts of a machine or workspace. This allows trainees to learn in a hands-on, contextually relevant manner without risk to live equipment. Factory floor visualization enables workers to visualize machine status, navigate facilities, and access real-time IoT data overlaid on equipment.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | ||
=== Healthcare and medical education === | === Healthcare and medical education === | ||
'''Pearson Education''' uses nursing students and professors practicing diagnosing and treating virtual patients in 3D real-world settings using HoloLens and mobile devices with Azure Spatial Anchors cross-platform support. Jeff Mlakar from Case Western Reserve University stated: "We can reach more students, educators and families by uniting our experiences across mobile and HoloLens devices...With Spatial Anchors' cross-platform support, we can bring our curriculum to life in 3D and share it with everyone."<ref name="CaseWestern">[https://news.microsoft.com/transform/case-western-reserve-pearson-hololens-spatial-anchors/ Microsoft News – Case Western Reserve and Pearson Education]</ref> | '''[[Pearson Education]]''' uses nursing students and professors practicing diagnosing and treating virtual patients in 3D real-world settings using HoloLens and mobile devices with Azure Spatial Anchors cross-platform support. Jeff Mlakar from Case Western Reserve University stated: "We can reach more students, educators and families by uniting our experiences across mobile and HoloLens devices...With Spatial Anchors' cross-platform support, we can bring our curriculum to life in 3D and share it with everyone."<ref name="CaseWestern">[https://news.microsoft.com/transform/case-western-reserve-pearson-hololens-spatial-anchors/ Microsoft News – Case Western Reserve and Pearson Education]</ref> | ||
VR platforms convert MRI/CT DICOM stacks into interactive 3D reconstructions for surgical planning, enabling pre-surgical rehearsals and multi-disciplinary team reviews. Surgical AR navigation provides intraoperative decision support with metric-accurate volumetric models and AI-driven segmentation for precise tool guidance. Medical training platforms use virtual reality training for emergency medical procedures, with spatial anchors enabling consistent placement of training scenarios.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | VR platforms convert MRI/CT DICOM stacks into interactive 3D reconstructions for surgical planning, enabling pre-surgical rehearsals and multi-disciplinary team reviews. Surgical AR navigation provides intraoperative decision support with metric-accurate volumetric models and AI-driven segmentation for precise tool guidance. Medical training platforms use virtual reality training for emergency medical procedures, with spatial anchors enabling consistent placement of training scenarios.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | ||
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=== Architecture and construction === | === Architecture and construction === | ||
Architecture and construction firms use spatial anchors for '''design review''' where architects and site workers review building plans overlaid on construction sites. Spatial planning enables visualization of proposed structures in real-world context, while progress tracking compares planned versus actual construction with persistent anchors marking key reference points.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | Architecture and construction firms use spatial anchors for '''[[design review]]''' where architects and site workers review building plans overlaid on construction sites. Spatial planning enables visualization of proposed structures in real-world context, while progress tracking compares planned versus actual construction with persistent anchors marking key reference points.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | ||
Theatre set design uses Azure Object Anchors to identify objects (couches, props) and Azure Spatial Anchors to map stage locations for multi-scene prop placement. Museums and exhibits implement interactive exhibits with persistent holographic content, and smart city infrastructure deploys persistent AR overlays for navigation, information displays, and public services.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | Theatre set design uses Azure Object Anchors to identify objects (couches, props) and Azure Spatial Anchors to map stage locations for multi-scene prop placement. Museums and exhibits implement interactive exhibits with persistent holographic content, and smart city infrastructure deploys persistent AR overlays for navigation, information displays, and public services.<ref name="Qualium_UseCases"/> | ||
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In education, spatial anchors enable persistent educational content across classrooms and campuses with 3D curriculum visualization. Students explore complex subjects through 3D visualizations anchored to physical spaces, and multiple students can work on shared holographic content simultaneously in collaborative projects.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | In education, spatial anchors enable persistent educational content across classrooms and campuses with 3D curriculum visualization. Students explore complex subjects through 3D visualizations anchored to physical spaces, and multiple students can work on shared holographic content simultaneously in collaborative projects.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | ||
'''Indoor navigation:''' In large, complex venues such as airports, museums, or train stations, where GPS is unreliable, spatial anchors can be used to create persistent, turn-by-turn AR navigation paths. These paths can guide visitors directly to their gate, exhibit, or platform, enhancing the visitor experience.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | '''[[Indoor navigation]]:''' In large, complex venues such as airports, museums, or train stations, where GPS is unreliable, spatial anchors can be used to create persistent, turn-by-turn AR navigation paths. These paths can guide visitors directly to their gate, exhibit, or platform, enhancing the visitor experience.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | ||
'''Interactive museum exhibits:''' Museums can use spatial anchors to overlay historical information, 3D reconstructions of artifacts, or interactive animations directly onto their physical displays. This provides visitors with a richer, more engaging, and contextually layered educational experience.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | '''[[Interactive museum exhibits]]:''' Museums can use spatial anchors to overlay historical information, 3D reconstructions of artifacts, or interactive animations directly onto their physical displays. This provides visitors with a richer, more engaging, and contextually layered educational experience.<ref name="RecreateFAQ"/> | ||
== Technical challenges and limitations == | == Technical challenges and limitations == | ||