Snap AR Creator Summit is coming, building a new AR ecosystem under the Metaverse trend

At the early morning of December 8, 2021, Beijing time , the Snap AR Creator Summit (Snap Lens Fest) was held. As an important annual event in the global AR field, this year's Snap Lens Fest, with the theme of "Experience the Future of AR", showed global players Snap's new achievements in AR technology exploration and application, as well as Snapchat's increasingly mature AR ecosystem.

According to official disclosure, the Snap AR platform currently brings together more than 250,000 filter creators, developers, brands and partners from more than 200 countries and regions. They have created more than 2.5 million filters , which have been viewed more than 3.5 trillion times by users . Among them, more than 300 creators have at least one work that has been viewed more than 1 billion times. There are more than 200 million users playing AR on Snapchat, and the average number of AR users playing more than 6 billion times a day.

At this year's Lens Fest, Snapchat highlighted the new features of Lens Studio and the next generation of Spectacles, as well as more ways to help creators create and commercialize on the Snap AR platform. In addition, the ecosystem built by Snapchat from development, creation, distribution to commercialization and its foreseeable huge commercial value are also a highlight of this summit.

Lens Studio releases major upgrade, introduces multiple new creative tools

Snapchat’s Lens Studio is a collection of filters created by all members of the creator community and the Snap design team. These filters can be displayed in Snapchat, the Snap camera, Spectacles, or through apps in Camera Kit.

Last year, Snapchat adopted some innovative technologies developed by the Snap team and brought them to Lens Studio to build more engaging, realistic and accessible user experiences. For example, clothing and skin color segmentation, 3D Body Mesh and voice machine learning. Other tools released today include:

New Music Library – Creators can choose from millions of music and audio tracks licensed from Snapchat to edit and add to their filters .

l Realistic physical effects - AR elements can respond more realistically to physical gravity, collisions, etc.

High - precision depth maps – Creators can use depth information and a geometric understanding of the world to create experiences that look and feel more like the real world. Previously, this was only possible with high-end devices.

API Library for Real -Time Data - Make it easier to create smart and useful Lenses using real-time information pulled from other sources like the US stock market, weather data, and more. We are starting with APIs from partners like FTX, Alpaca, Accuweather, iTranslate, and more.

Soon, creators will be able to make custom landmarks and turn local landmarks into AR attractions. This feature only requires using a mobile device with a LiDAR scanner to map the area and create a 3D model that can be imported into Lens Studio to convert the real-world coordinates into online images.

In addition, Snapchat will continue to support the growing community of AR creators and their creativity. For example, the new " Filter Summoning " feature allows creators to add a link to the filter, making it easy to take Snapchatters to destinations such as stores. Snapchatters can also like creators through " Story Replies " . In the future, developers and small teams who want to explore AR technology and creativity can apply for each project and have the opportunity to receive up to $150,000 in support, as well as direct help from the Snap team.

The next generation of Spectacles glasses has been highly anticipated .

Five years ago, Snapchat launched Spectacles as a fun hands-free camera, and has continuously optimized product features and user experience through continuous iterations. Now, the new generation of Spectacles is constantly drawing user feedback from the Snap AR community and developing more new features:

lConnected lenses - Multiple people can share the same lens in the same space with Spectacles.

Location triggers - If the user turns on location, Lenses can adjust to a specific GPS radius and optimize the experience.

Durable Mode – This feature allows the lens to run longer by turning off the display when interacting with the lens.

These new-generation Spectacles glasses with AR display have helped creators create hundreds of lenses, which are used in scenarios such as learning, shopping, art experience, and games, giving people a new perspective on the world. For example, users can "witness" the impact of global warming through the new generation of glasses, or experience the history of Boston as if traveling through time and space, or interact with 3D art, etc. The ways to play are endless.

AR applications continue to be popular, and Snap AR ecosystem is becoming more mature

The high popularity of Snap Lens Fest for three consecutive years has confirmed the popularity of AR innovation around the world. From the application scenarios demonstrated at this summit, it can be seen that AR is developing from an entertainment "toy" to a real practical tool, which will greatly stimulate the application scenarios and commercial value of AR.

At the same time, Snapchat has gradually formed a set of links including technology development, AR distribution, content creation and commercialization.

l AR creation: Tools such as Lens Studio and Lens Web Builder lower the technical threshold for developers to create AR. Developers' AR creative ideas are no longer restricted by technology and can be turned into works more quickly and easily.

l AR distribution: Snapchat platform, Spectacles glasses, Snap camera, Camera Kit and other software and hardware have formed a multi-channel distribution path, allowing the creative works of AR creators to be seen and spread.

l AR content: Creator Marketplace is like a "trading market" for AR works, creating a platform for AR creators and brands to co-create. Creators can publish their works and seek cooperation with brand owners to monetize their creativity.

l AR commercialization: AR filter advertising provides brands with a more interactive marketing method. It increases brand awareness and promotes conversions through immersive AR experience, becoming a trendy social marketing tool.

On the one hand, the construction of this AR ecosystem has solved the two major "barriers" of AR technology development and content creation, allowing the application of AR to be rapidly promoted. On the other hand, the Snap AR community has gathered a large number of developers, creators and brands. Snapchat has opened up some AR technologies, and creators publish their works on the platform. Brand owners can efficiently connect with creators and high-quality works to complete the production and release of an AR advertisement. The media commented, "Snapchat has turned AR development into a business and allows all participants to make money."

For years, creators have believed in the power of AR and its ability to change the world. Snapchat has always been committed to creating extraordinary experiences, which are being integrated into Snapchatters' games, learning, exploration, shopping, art and other aspects. For example, Snapchat's 9 AR try-on filters are used in famous fashion week shows in New York, London, Milan and other places. In the third quarter of this year, Snapchat cooperated with Sotheby's to launch a filter function, allowing users to appreciate works of art in an immersive way without leaving home. In the retail field, in Snapchat's cooperation with GUCCI, eyewear retailer Clearly, American Eagle and other brands, the high conversion rate of AR advertising has once again confirmed its huge commercial value.

Some media commented that "Snapchat has become one of the most widely used camera applications in the world. With the support of AR technology, it has also become the most commonly used AR application by users, and it is entirely possible that it will become the first stop for the future metaverse/virtual life."

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