Now You See Life-Size Animals In Augmented Reality With Google Search

Google has given its Search tool a new feature caters for people with a smartphone that supports augmented reality to join a safari trip from wherever they are sitting.

At its I/O conference, Aparna Chennapragada, VP and General Manager for Camera and AR products at Google, has shown people how the company adds 3D models in the real world, which allows users to look at the subject from any angle and at any place they want.

The new function is now on iPhone and Android smartphones that enable AR. We will have the chance to experience this with animals first.

This feature is pretty easy to use. You just need to do a search for an animal as usual, and if you see “Meet a life-sized [animal] up close,” text appears on the screen, you can see it in 3D. Next, click the option “View in 3D” to see the animal and if you click the AR tab, you can see it in AR on your smartphone. After a while, the animal will reach its actual size and overlaid on anything the camera is pointing at.

On its Twitter account, Google revealed that you could see Rottweilers and panda with this new feature while a CNET employee listed the following animals: brown bear, alligator, macaw, pug, shark, Shetland pony, raccoon, and penguin. People with AR-enabled smartphones are encouraged to check if their favorite animal can be viewed in augmented reality or not.

Chennapragada also said that the feature would be of great help when people went shopping, for example. If users can have a closer look at the product they are looking for, they might have a clearer idea of whether they wanted it or not. For example, if users search for a particular chair and they can see how it fits into the room, they can decide right away if it is the best match for the other furniture.