Latest Apps to Showcase Apple's ARKit Include Simple Measuring Tape and Minecraft

iOS developers have already gotten their hands on ARKit, Apple's latest platform which enables developers to quickly and easily build augmented reality experiences into their apps. ARKit blog Made With ARKit has been sharing even more examples of the augmented reality apps that developers are toying around with, coming a few months ahead of when the first apps will launch to the public alongside iOS 11 this fall.

In two new videos shared on Twitter, developers have created useful measuring apps with ARKit, using the camera, processors, and motion sensors in an iPhone or iPad to calculate the size of various objects. In the first video, the app requires users to tap two locations and then shows the total distance between the spots as a floating number in the air.


In the second video (seen above), users choose a starting point for the virtual measuring tape, and then pan to where they want the end point to be located. The video compares the virtual AR measuring experience to a real measuring tape, and then tries it out on a picture frame and armoire. The app in the second video was built by Laan Labs, and they have a few other ARKit videos on their twitter, including one where they make a 3D drawing.

Gaming apps have already begun to take shape as well, with developer Matthew Hallberg building a Minecraft AR app with ARKit and Unity. The app lets players place Minecraft blocks around their real-world environment, and then destroy what they've built with Minecraft's traditional crafting and destruction mechanics.


One well-known partner for ARKit is furniture company IKEA, which plans to launch a new iPhone and iPad app that will let customers view objects in their own home through ARKit before they make a purchase. For more on ARKit, check out a hands-on video of the platform's demo that Apple created for developers and used to showcase the technology this year at WWDC.

Top Rated Comments

Wowereit Avatar
88 months ago
The measuring tape might sound basic but when I'm looking back at how often I could've used that app...
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
slimothy Avatar
88 months ago
This is actually a lot cooler than I originally thought it would be.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jiggad369 Avatar
88 months ago
That tape measure feature is really underrated.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pika2000 Avatar
88 months ago
Foolish Apple. Tim Cook should be fired. This is not innovation. Apple should be making cheap desktop PCs. Now that's innovation!

/s
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
santaliqueur Avatar
88 months ago
Apple must have a time machine to go back to 2013 which was the AR era. We've progressed to VR era since 2015. Maybe Apple will catch up with VR by end of year or 2018.
"2013, which was the AR era"

Huh? Why was that the "AR era?" Beca

You sound like the guy who says "Apple never invented anything, they just piggyback on other peoples ideas and capitalize on them".

Apple never does things first, nor do they claim to. The guy you replied to said Apple pulled the rug from underneath its competitors, and I bet that will be true. And we will hear people complain about how some Android phone had those features x years ago (Welcome to 2014 Apple!) while hundreds of millions of new customers experience this new-to-them technology.

Being first doesn't matter. Being the first to do something right matters.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
travelsheep Avatar
88 months ago
the floor IS lava
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...