Technology
Google adds more AR animals to your smartphone quest and most of them are pretty cute.
Google has introduced 50 new augmented reality animals to Scan, which can be either adorable or a little disconcerting in the case of a giant cat in the picture above. It's likely, of course, that I find the giant kitty threatening because I hate fun (or so I've been told), but I don't think I want that creature to greet me, anywhere ever, in AR or any other reality.
But I do want this red panda to play pumpkin in my dining room as long as she wants to.
Besides the red panda and the cat, there's a giraffe, a cow, a zebra, a pig, and a hippo among the new creatures that you can almost welcome to your home (or any other room, but we're all homebound right now). Only check for an animal on Google's mobile app and press "3D view" among the results. Android Police has a pretty decent record of all the AR animals that they've found so far.
Hip(po), hip(po), hooray! There are 50 new AR animals to discover on Search. Search for your favorite animal on your Google mobile app, tap "View in 3D" to see them in your space and don’t forget to share your best creations with #Google3D. pic.twitter.com/u80Mn7wi1z
— Google (@Google) December 11, 2020
When Google started putting 3D animals in Search last year there were only a few normal animals available including a tiger, a lion, a wolf, and a rat. More animals were introduced in March, including alligators, ducks, and hedgehogs. In August, Google made prehistoric creatures and historical objects available in AR through its Arts and Culture app—and who wouldn't love to check out the Cambropachycope's ancient crustacean?
I have to say that after playing with the AR animals in Quest for a bit (in the name of science, obviously), it's a pretty fun feature, and it's likely to be a lot of fun for kids stuck inside during—everything. Now, take a look at my new pet red panda wrestling with her pumpkin.
