Snap’s Lensathon Competition Teases The Future Of AR
This year’s lineup features everything from AR fashion to AR gaming.
Snap Inc. has announced the winners of its 2022 Build the Future Lensathon, during which Lens Creators from around the world competed for a whopping $200,000 in prizes. This year’s competition featured over 3,000 developers working on a variety of augmented reality (AR) Lenses powered by the Snapchat app.
Of the thousands that competed only 30 were selected as winners by Snap Inc. This includes VOXELIZE, a simple but effective AR voxel scanner, and Table Towers, a tabletop AR game that tasks you with building a futuristic city.
Here are the big winners of Snap Inc.’s 2022 Build the Future Lensathon:
VOXELIZE by Denis Rossiev
The grand prize of $40,000 goes to Denis Rossiev for his work on VOXELIZE, an intuitive LiDAR Lens that allows you to capture real-world environments as 3D voxel art. As you scan your environment, machine learning technology automatically segments real-world objects in the background. You can then view your scan as a 3D model using touch controls and export it as a .glb file and do with it what you will.
“I’m a big fan of pixel and voxel art – everything square and low-poly,” said Denis in an official release. “Initially, I wanted to build a Lens that turns everything into voxels, but later it evolved into the idea of a full-featured voxel scanner that can be used to create art. I like the freedom Lens Studio provides: it’s so powerful that I was able to build a robust tool inside a Lens!”
VOXELIZE is available to try now via the Snapchat app. For more information visit here.
Any Where by Inna Sparrow & Volodymyr Kurbatov
Coming in second is Inna Sparrow and Volodymyr Kurbatov’s Any Where, a unique-looking fashion tool that allows you to create your own pair of sneakers. Once you’ve finished designing your custom footwear, you can then “wear” your creations using AR. Persistent storage technology allows you to save your virtual sneakers as digital collectibles and bust them out whenever you’d like.
“As for me, Lens Studio nails the balance of being powerful and easy to use simultaneously,” said Volodymyr. “The most exciting part for me is that this Lens gives the full power of self-expression to Snapchaters – an unlimited number of possible collectibles can be created,” added Inna.
Any Where is available to try now via the Snapchat app. For more information visit here.
The Mystery of King Tut: An Adventure Through Time by Bad Decisions Studio
The Mystery of King Tut: An Adventure Through Time by Farhad Shababi & Faraz Shababi combines a variety of technologies to take you on a mysterious AR adventure. Using hand-tracking technology, you’ll interact with a variety of virtual puzzles as you search for ancient Egyptian treasures. You can even explore an exact replica of King Tut’s tomb.
“I have always been fascinated by ancient cultures and histories, especially by ancient Egypt,” said Faraz. “After a recent visit to an exhibition about the story of King Tut, I was left wondering what the actual tomb looked like, and how it would feel to be inside of it. Knowing that we couldn’t travel to Egypt, we decided to bring that experience to us using the power of augmented reality. We hope others will also have this experience through our Lens.”
The Mystery of King Tut: An Adventure Through Time is available to try now via the Snapchat app. For more information visit here.
Table Towers by DB Creations
Blake Gross & Dustin Kochensparger’s Table Towers is an architectural experience that lets you build and manage your own futuristic utopia on your coffee table. After selecting a flat surface, you can begin crafting your solarpunk metropolis by placing skyscrapers connected by towering sky bridges. As your city grows, animated elements such as helicopters, drones, and trains will begin to appear automatically.
“It’s exciting to create an AR experience that augments Snapchatters’ physical spaces and enables their creativity,” said Gross. “We focus on games that give people the tools to create something unique and new, so we’re excited to see what players create!”
Table Towers is available to try now via the Snapchat app. For more information visit here.
A Farmer’s Life by Danny Marree & Max van Leeuwen
Rounding out the top five we have A Farmer’s Life by Danny Marree & Max van Leeuwen. The developers used a combination of time-based elements, weather API data, and persistent storage to create a laidback agricultural experience where you’re tasked with seeding, watering, and harvesting crops. You can then sell your produce to purchase additional upgrades and improve your farm.
“Lens Studio is packed with high-tech features that are easy to use,” said Leeuwen. “Whether it’s prototyping or setting up a whole project from scratch, it always feels like a friendly software to work with.”
A Farmer’s Life is available to try now via the Snapchat app. For more information visit here.
Visit here for a full list of all 30 winners.
Feature Image Credit: Snap Inc.
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