If you’re looking to get a little more out of your Halloween costumes this year, there are a few ways to do it. One way is to use augmented reality (AR), which is a technology that uses your phone to create 3D images that can be used as characters in games or other applications. There are a few different ways to AR yourself for Halloween, but the most popular way is probably using the Google Cardboard app. Once you’ve downloaded it, open it and put on your headset. Then, open up the Google Street View app and look around your neighborhood for any familiar landmarks or buildings. Once you’ve found them, use the AR function on your phone to make them appear in 3D on your screen. Another way to AR yourself is by using the Oculus Rift headset. You can buy one of these devices for around $300, and once you’ve got it set up, you can use it to AR yourself in various ways. One way is by using the Oculus Touch controllers to move around the environment and interact with things like costumes and props. Another way is by using the tracking software on the Rift to create realistic 3D images of people and objects in your environment.
You may not know this, but Google Search has the ability to put 3D objects in your environment through augmented reality. This feature doesn’t require any special apps, it simply works from the browser on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.
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The 3D objects include dinosaurs, a wide variety of animals, planets, and other miscellaneous things. Google also includes a handful of objects specifically for Halloween:
Ghost Dancing skeleton Jack-o’-lanterns Dog in a hot dog costume Dog in a pirate costume Cat in a witch hat
To put these spooky (and silly) objects in your world, you can use the Google app (iPhone, iPad, or Android) or the Google website in a mobile browser such as Chrome.
The objects can be found by searching for them. The terms you can use include “Halloween,” “Jack-o-lantern,” “human skeleton,” “cat,” “dog,” and “German Shepherd.”
Next, after searching for your desired AR Halloween character, scroll down on the main results tab and look for the 3D object card. Tap “View in 3D” to see the object in full screen.
From here you can move the object around your screen with your fingers as well as pinch in and out to resize the 3D character. To put it in your real-world environment, tap “View in Your Space.”
You will see a prompt to move your phone around to help the AR technology analyze the space and determine how much room is available. The object will then appear. You can move the Halloween object and scale it with your fingers.
Tap the camera shutter button in the center of the screen to snap a photo.
Drag the card open from the bottom of the screen to see related Halloween objects. Tap one to place it on your phone’s screen.
That’s all there is to it! Go forth and add some of Google’s 3D AR Halloween spookiness to your world.
