Ball Invasion is a first-person shooter app that pits users against evil balls lurking in the real world.
While the premise of the game may not seem groundbreaking, the technology behind it is revolutionary. In a nutshell, it uses augmented reality, which is when virtual elements are combined with the real-world environment (i.e. sports newscasters adding virtual “chalk marks” on the screen).
What makes this new app by 13th Lab amazing is that it can perform these tasks instantly, without needing its users to set up any predetermined markers. Ball Invasion amazingly augments reality by simply using the iPad2’s camera.
The method, called SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping), has existed for quite some time, but 13th Lab is the first to find a way to squeeze it into a mobile device. It has only been previously used by highly advanced robots, such as those that trek Mars and need to map surface areas in real time
While this sub-centimeter positioning technology is only possible on the iPad 2 thus far, the developers will endeavor to bring it across other platforms, provided the devices can handle the processor-heavy program.
Get Ball Invasion here.
Source: PopSci