AR Insider shared technologies where AR experiences are tied to location, and highlighted z-axis as one of them.
The third and final enabling technology is 3D location data. As background, accurate location data will be one key puzzle piece for the geospatial AR vision. And because we’re talking about 3-dimensional content, the location data itself needs to be more dimensional than GPS.
This notion has led to 3D location data from players like NextNav. The idea is that most location data we encounter is based on two dimensions: X & Y – or lat/long in GPS terms. 3D location data adds a Z-axis to the mix to define spatial positioning and navigation in terms of elevation.
One way this has traditionally been used is targeting mobile ads. GPS lat/long readings don’t help ad targeting in places like 3-story shopping malls or 60-story buildings that have commercial businesses on lower floors. In these cases, elevation matters for the right content to be delivered.
Beyond a marketing context, Z-level accuracy becomes more valuable in emergency response scenarios. When someone calls 911 from the 32nd floor of a 40-story building, being able to get a precise fix on a three-dimensional location can save precious minutes.
As for AR, this could involve playing Pokémon Go across topographical planes, or navigating the hills of San Francisco with Google Live View. Whether it’s games or utilities — both of which will drive value in AR — Z-axis orientation will be one factor in the continued quest for geo-local AR.
Read the full article here.