YOKOHAMA (Señor Tomato) – I had two iOS apps that use AR (Augmented Reality). So what’s next? Am I going to develop another AR app? Well, I was thinking about developing an app that allows the user to overlay a bunch of lines over concrete blocks for the construction industry. Then I’ve changed my mind and ended up creating another AR app. This new release is called Wall Pipes. No, the next one in line is not an AR app. It’ll be a desktop application.

Wall Pipes is an iOS app for iPhone and iPad users that allows them to cast one or more drainage pipes against the wall using Augmented Reality (AR). This app is for plumbers and others dealing with drainage pipes, tubes and fences who need to quickly design a pipe on the camera screen. The app supports a simple square-shaped pole and a long cylinder. Additional pipe types are available as two groups of add-ons that include L-shaped pipe, J-shaped pipe, Cross Wye, Side-Outlet Elbow, Double-Wye Fitting, P-Trap and more. The app supports different colors (20 of them). You can rotate one and change the orientation (vertical or horizontal). Also, you have total control over the overall object length, the object radius and other properties.

When the app starts up, choose one of the measurement units that the app supports: Centimeter or Inch. Then either tap Individual Cast or Group Cast. If you select Group Cast, the app lets you erect multiple instances of the same object type you select. For example if you want to create the feeling of being behind bars, you can erect several dozen vertical, long poles with a single tap. Otherwise, use Individual Cast especially if you want to save the current dataset as a file so that you can reproduce pipes from a file.

Note that there is no guarantee that your screen tap will always produce an object on the camera screen. When it comes to Augmented Reality, there are some factors including light are involved that this app has no control over. The same is true when you try to reconstruct pipes from a file.

Although users have access to two simple pipe types without add-ons, they will get unlimited access to all 14 object types for 48 hours after initial launch. So try using the app when you have chance.   Continue reading →

YOKOHAMA (Señor Tomato) – Several days ago, I released my second app with ARKit, which made me think to myself “What else can I do with ARKit?” How about a speed gun? Can we use ARKit to make the iPhone camera a speed gun? That’s how this new ARKit project started. The first prototype was horrible because it posted a moving vehicle speed of 522 km/h or something, which shouldn’t happen especially on a public street. Then I incorporated Core ML (Machine Learning) into the Xcode project to identify a moving vehicle. But that was only the beginning of a long road because the app still posted a moving vehicle speed of 270 km/h or something. After all, I completely changed the way how it estimates the speed of a moving object. That was basically the game-changing decision. The result of two dozen field tests over three days is Move & Roll.

Move & Roll is an iPhone-only iOS app that lets you keep track of a moving vehicle so that you can estimate its maximum speed. And it works in the portrait mode (vertical) only. Move & Roll uses Core ML (Machine Learning) to identify a moving vehicle so that it will show its position with a green rectangle on the camera screen. When the app identifies a moving object as a vehicle (bicycle, motorbike, car, bus, truck), it tells you what this vehicle type is on the diagnostic panel at the top-left corner of the screen. The status label will then turn orange and says ‘TRACKING VEHICLE.’ Finally, it will show its estimated maximum speed at the bottom and then look for a new target.

So the following is how you use this app. You stay away from traffic by 20 to 30 yards (20 to meters) and hold your device tight running Move & Roll. You select the speed unit and the minimum speed to record when the app starts up. Then tap the Start button. And the app will navigate to the Camera screen. Now, turn the camera screen towards the road and tilt it by 10 to 15 degrees towards incoming or outgoing traffic and stay still. When you see a moving vehicle, do not follow it by moving yourself or the device. Just let the app follow the moving object. Once the app finds a target, a green rectangle will cover it. And this green rectangle will keep following the fleeing target.

After tracking one moving object, you don’t have to go back the Startup screen. The app will accumulate vehicle records while you are on the camera screen. When you finally return to the Startup screen, the app will list all vehicle records each with the maximum speed estimate and its vehicle type. You can tap the orange Upload button to save this list as a text file. If you tap a resulting file, Files.app will open it with Numbers by default.

When you use your device as a speed gun with this app, bear in mind that Move & Roll will only give you an estimated speed of a moving vehicle. It does its best in making an estimate, but it will never beat an actual speed gun in accuracy.   Continue reading →

YOKOHAMA (Señor Tomato) – SwiftUI does not natively support Augmented Reality (AR). That’s one story. Developing an app with AR is another. A year ago from last summer, I had my first AR app. It is quite difficult to figure out how you can use AR, isn’t it? Finally, I now have a second AR app, which I submitted to Apple’s App Store a few minutes ago. This new software release is called Gappp.

Gappp is an iOS app for iPhone and iPad users that lets you measure an object size on a flat or vertical surface. You can measure an object size on the ceiling that you cannot normally reach. You can even measure an object at a different building that without physically going there.

Using Gappp is quite simple. After switching to the Camera screen, wait for the square color to turn green. Then use the slider at the bottom to adjust the square size matching that of the object that you want to measure. You can also pinch-adjust the color square itself. When you are ready, simply tap the screen. And the app will send a measurement record to main screen. You can tap the screen to measure another object without going back to the main screen. When you are finished, you should find a list of recorded measurements at the bottom. Finally, tap the orange upload toolbar button to save this list a file.   Continue reading →