Augmented reality for experts - introducing Wikitude SDK 9

Augmented reality for experts – introducing Wikitude SDK 9

Eva Triantafillopoulou

We’re excited to introduce SDK 9, a new way for developers to build more sophisticated and immersive augmented reality and solutions.

With this release, Wikitude introduces a new edition of its AR tool:

SDK 9.0 Expert Edition, which brings advanced AR features for Unity experts.

In addition, our standard SDK has also been updated bringing several improvements for the classic AR features for professional developers.

Continue reading to explore the details and features of each Wikitude SDK edition.

Wikitude SDK 9.0 Expert Edition

Create advanced AR experiences in Unity with the new Wikitude SDK Expert Edition.

Wikitude Expert Edition is a brand-new product built to better support agencies, enterprises, and professional AR developers that wish to create high-performing AR solutions and experiences in Unity.

The new Expert platform introduces advanced augmented reality features that can be used in combination with external native AR frameworks, such as ARKit and ARCore or as a stand-alone tool.

Wikitude SDK 9.0 Expert Edition features at a glance:

High-end Image Tracking (single & multiple)
Cylinder Tracking (single & multiple)
Object Tracking (single & multiple)
Multiple Trackers (image + object + positional tracking)
Support for AR Foundation from Unity
Object visualization in Unity Editor

Below you will find details related to the main features of the platform. Before digging into the specifics, feel free to begin downloading Wikitude Expert Edition now.

High-end Image Tracking (single & multiple)

Thanks to important breakthroughs achieved by the Wikitude development team, developers can now instantly recognize and track multiple 2D images in more challenging environments.

Use cases working with a large number of image targets experience robust performance and the possibility of interaction between the different targets.

Once targets are recognized, augmentations lock onto the physical image, presenting minimum jitter and high stability. Additionally, lost targets are re-localized with ease and from further distances.

To increase speed of app development, the new high-end Image Tracking technology is available for regular ZIP files containing images in plain JPG or PNG format (no need for pre-processing/WTC conversion).

The Wikitude SDK Expert Edition was tested and approved by over 20 agencies specialized in AR and is now available for download for our community.

Cylinder Tracking (single and multiple)

Our community has spoken and we have delivered! Wikitude SDK 9.0 Expert Edition introduces the highly requested cylinder target tracking AR feature.

Expert developers can now create AR experiences that recognize and track images wrapped around cylinder-shaped targets such as drinking cans, wine bottles, longnecks, aluminum tin cans, cosmetic bottles, and other tubular shaped product containers.

And the tech is not limited to one target. Use the multiple cylinder function to track multiple targets simultaneously and have the augmentations interact with each other.

Cylinder Tracking Tutorial

Learn how to add augmentations to cylinder targets using the new Wikitude SDK Expert Edition for Unity:

Multiple Object Tracking

With the increasing number of object tracking use cases deployed across industries, Wikitude now gives developers the ability to build more complex experiences using different kinds of physical objects.

With the Wikitude Expert Edition, you can now create AR experiences that recognize and track multiple objects at the same time.

Multiple Object Tracking can be used to track identical as well as different types of objects simultaneously, according to your use case. So whether you are augmenting various toys, industrial machines or any other type of object, Expert Edition delivers the best performance on high-end devices, across platforms.

Multiple Trackers (image + object + positional tracking)

Multiple Trackers was first presented in an interactive remote control car racing demo at AWE 2019 and the technology got a lot of traction since its introduction. This feature combines Positional Tracking (ARKit, ARCore), with Wikitude’s Object and Image Tracking.

The technology is now available through Wikitude SDK 9.0 Expert Edition. Download now and start innovatively combining multiple features to create a truly interactive AR experience.

Video by Wikitude partner Cybernet.

Support for AR Foundation

Easily and quickly combine Wikitude Image + Object Tracking with other features from ARCore/ARKit.

AR Foundation is the Unity middleware for wrapping ARKit and ARCore. With the Wikitude Expert Edition, you can use features from ARKit and ARCore directly without Wikitude integrating them.

Object Visualization in Unity Editor

As the name suggests, with the Expert Edition SDK you can visualize the object target point cloud directly in the Unity development environment. This feature results in a faster development process when creating Object Tracking AR experiences.

Get started with Wikitude Expert for Unity

We are committed to providing the best tools and the latest technology to help you create powerful AR experiences.

Download Wikitude SDK Expert Edition

Check out the Wikitude Expert Edition Documentation, install the sample apps available in the download package, and visit our forum for support and feedback.

Wikitude SDK 9.0 Professional Edition

Create powerful AR experiences in JavaScript, Unity, Cordova, Xamarin, Flutter, & Native API with the classic Wikitude SDK Professional Edition.

In parallel to launching the new Expert Edition, today we are also releasing an update of the classic Wikitude SDK, which is now called Wikitude SDK Professional Edition.

Traditionally built with various AR features and a broad framework choice, professional developers have the flexibility to create powerful AR apps in JavaScript, Unity, Cordova, Xamarin, Flutter, & Native API.

Wikitude SDK 9.0 Professional Edition features at a glance:

High-End Image and Multiple Image Tracking – NEW
Visualization of .wto in Unity Editor – NEW
ARCore update
Several performance and stability improvements

Active Wikitude SDK subscribers are entitled to the respective SDK version updates released throughout their term. Follow the links below to update your Wikitude SDK license:

New to Wikitude? Download a free Wikitude trial version for testing purposes and contact our team to discuss upgrade possibilities.

To explore all SDK options, including smart glasses, plugins, and other dev tools, please access our download page:

Wikitude download page

Interested in creating an AR project of your own? Access our store to choose your package or contact our team to discuss your specific AR requirements in detail.

Support for Wikitude coming to an end