Google has already stirred up quite a sensation when they introduced 3D animals and objects in Google Search and brought them into the real world using augmented reality. If you did not know about it, let us guide you. With a simple Google Search, you could bring 3D animals into the real world and click pictures with them too! But that is not the end of fun. Stepping further ahead, Google now brings popular Japanese characters like Hello Kitty, Gundam, Pac-Man, and so much more using the same AR technology.
Japan’s video game and Anime culture have a strong influence all over the world. Emerged during the 1950s, it still holds a major impact on Japanese pop culture as well as the entertainment industry. It was the time when home TV consoles and gaming arcade trends boomed. However, it was not restricted to Japan alone. Soon, it became a global phenomenon as it caught the world’s attention. Even today, they are hugely popular across different demographics and age groups.
No surprise
Considering the popularity, it is no surprise that the Japanese animated characters are among the most searched items on Google. Statistics indicate that Pac-man, the beloved dot-gobbling monster leads the race by a long way. Next in the run is the beloved feline character Hello Kitty. What is more surprising in this regard is that neither of the characters topped the chart because of their local fan-following. Rather, the top country in terms of search interest in Hello Kitty is the Philippines, and in Pac-Man—well, it’s Peru of all places!
Addition
Taken into account the popularity of Japanese animated characters, Google has decided to add them to their repertoire of 3D avatars. Thanks to Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore, many smartphones can already view 3D objects without the support of any additional software. The update is going to feature popular characters like Evangelion, Gundam Odysseus, Gomorra, Taiko Master, Kogimyun, Ultraman Zero, Ultraman Belial, Pompompurin, and many more, apart from Pac-Man and Hello Kitty.
View in the real world
To view these 3D avatars in the real world using augmented reality, all you need to have is your iPad, iPhone, or Android device. You can also access them through Google mobile website available in Chrome. To bring these 3D characters into the real world, go to Google Search, scroll down the result page and click on the “See [character name] in Your Space” option and then tap on the “View in 3D” button. A preview of the 3D character will appear on your screen. Once that appears, you need to select the “View in Your Space” option to place it in the physical world with the help of your device’s camera. To be able to do so, first, you need to grant the app permission to access your device’s camera, storage, and microphone. Once you go through these steps, you will be asked to move around your phone to let AR technology analyze the physical space. As soon as it does its job, the character will appear in the empty space. As it appears, you can be able to zoom and drag to fit the character better in the space. Also, you can snap a picture of the scene.