ViroCore is a SceneKit Equivalent to Easily Develop AR/VR Apps in Java

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Virtual reality has been in the spotlight for a few years now with enthusiast products like the HTC Vive as well as more mainstream options such as the Gear VR and Google Daydream. Lately, we’ve seen renewed interest in augmented reality with Google recently launching ARCore. Creating content for these new platforms can be difficult for traditional developers but there are some who are trying to make it as easy as possible. To that end, a startup company called Viro Media has announced ViroCore: a SceneKit for Android equivalent to help accelerate both augmented reality (AR) as well as virtual reality (VR) application development for developers with experience in Java.

Viro Media had originally created Viro as a platform for developers to help them build immersive AR and VR applications. Their goal was to combine a suite of rendering tools with a rich feature set for AR and VR developers to use familiar frameworks and languages. To date, the company has raised $2.5 million in seed funding with its founders previously working at a 3D mapping company that was acquired by Amazon.

This week they have announced the launch of the ViroCore platform that enables native augmented reality and virtual reality development using Java. ViroCore supports developing apps for ARCore, Google Cardboard, Google Daydream VR, and Samsung Gear VR. The platform allows developers to build standalone AR/VR applications or can even use it to implement individual features into their existing applications. The company feels ViroCore is a great alternative to specialized game engines or lower-level APIs, like OpenGL, for building AR/VR applications.

Today, ViroCore is being made available along with ViroReact, which is Viro’s platform for React Native developers. ViroReact now supports ARCore (as well as ARKit), Google Cardboard, and Google Daydream. The Viro platform is free without any limits on distribution, and developers can sign up for the Viro platform at the link located below the video.