Google app lets users create gifs of objects in augmented reality

Google Research has released an update to Motion Stills, which allows users to create videos and gifs of objects in augmented reality. The phone does not need to have ARCore on board for this.

The app has its own way of mapping and monitoring horizontal surfaces, according to a hands-on with the app. As a result, the Motion Stills app works on almost all Android phones from recent years. ARCore only runs on Google’s own Pixel devices and the Samsung Galaxy S8 series.

The app uses phones’ gyroscope and tilt sensor to monitor horizontal surfaces, according to an explanation from Google. Similarly, Google ARCore and Apple’s counterpart ARKit work.

By continuing to track surfaces, objects can move with the surface they are standing on, and users can also bring the phone closer without the object appearing to move. In addition, the technology, just like ARCore and ARKit, is far from flawless. Often the app does not recognize surfaces or an object suddenly falls into thin air when it moves. A flat surface of a hand, on the other hand, often works well, as can be seen in this gif of 27MB.

The AR mode is an addition to the already existing Motion Stills app that Google released in 2016. It was initially released for iOS and later for Android. The AR mode is only in the Android version of the app.