WeatherBug is one of the most popular weather apps and websites. Millions of people rely on it every day to know if it is going to rain or not. From now on, they will be able to see something even more detailed on their mobile screen. In particular – the air particles around them. This is possible thanks to a new augmented reality feature added to the WeatherBug app.
Air Particles in Augmented Reality: See What You Breathe
The new augmented reality feature uses technology developed by Amazon Sumerian. The feature, named Air Quality, allows users to see exactly what is in the air they breathe. They can enlarge the AR particles to 3D models which help them understand the exact composition of the air in their location.
The President and General Manager of WeatherBug, Olivier Vincent, stated:
“We are very excited to introduce this new Augmented Reality technology into the WeatherBug experience. We are impressed with the potential of AR to make the experience more real and visceral.”
He also explained the choice of Amazon Sumerian, as technology partner in developing the augmented reality feature: “We think the combination of power and flexibility offered by the Amazon Sumerian platform gives us the opportunity to create more interesting weather related experiences.”
A Personalized Approach to Specific Health Problems
The WeatherBug desktop and mobile app does not only deliver the weather forecast. It also has specific modules for people with allergies, asthma or increased sensitivity to air pollution. They can get real time and location-specific information concerning the air quality.
The new Air Quality augmented reality feature will help them get a better grasp of what is in the air they breathe and take adequate precautions. The AR feature will show allergens such as pollen, exhaust particles and other similar particles.
Speaking of the challenges to create this AR feature for WeatherBug, the General Manager of Amazon Sumerian, Kyle Roche, said:
“WeatherBug has tapped the power of AR to help users see the weather around them in a way that they can act upon. We are looking forward to continuing the collaboration to deliver on the vision for creating a more immersive and actionable experience around weather using AR and AI.”
If you want to test the new feature, you can install the WeatherBug app on both Android and iOS.
