6D.ai aims to build a 3D map of the world using only smartphone cameras. Today, the company announced it is working with Qualcomm Technologies to provide technology for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon mobile processing platform.

San Francisco-based 6D.ai will provide spatial understanding for Snapdragon-powered XR head-mounted displays (HMDs) and XR viewers that are designed to connect to smartphones based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platform.

6D.ai also released its Android solution to round out its cross-platform offerings, which already include iOS.

“The 3D model of the world is the next platform all apps will run on,” said 6D.ai CEO Matt Miesnieks in a statement. “We are seeing this happen today with businesses of all sizes across a variety of industries looking to build spatially aware applications that go beyond AR to scanning, location-based services, and in the future, drones and robotics. Today’s rollout of our business model and our cooperation with Qualcomm Technologies are the first of many steps we are taking toward building this 3D map of the world.”

Image Credit: 6D.ai

Qualcomm Technologies and 6D.ai will work together to optimize the 6D.ai reality platform for Snapdragon-powered XR devices, taking advantage of advanced computer vision and AI processing to enable developers and device makers to create fully immerse apps with life-like XR experiences that blur the line between real and virtual worlds.

“XR, powered by AI and 5G, has the potential to define the next generation of immersive mobile computing,” said Hugo Swart, senior director of product management and head of XR at Qualcomm Technologies, in a statement. “6D.ai is strengthening today’s experiences by building world maps to help lay the foundation for a future where XR devices fully understand the real world, to enable developers creating next-generation applications that can recognize, interpret, and interact with the world we live in.”

Additionally, 6D.ai announced the beta rollout of its Android solution. These cross-platform experiences allow users of apps built on 6D to share the same virtual experience, accurately and persistently, while viewing it from different devices.

6D.ai said that any app that ships on the company’s platform by December 31 will enjoy free use of its SDK for three years.

Thousands of developers are already testing and building apps that realistically interact with the world on 6D.ai’s platform, including Autodesk, Nexus Studios, and Accenture.

Founded in November 2017, 6D.ai is a seed-stage startup that was spun out of Oxford University’s world-renowned Active Vision Lab. 6D.ai currently has 16 employees.