Universal Everything, a UK-based digital art practice and design studio, has debuted a free augmented reality app called Super You. It uses cutting-edge body tracking technology to transform the human body using different AR costumes.
However, unlike other AR apps, Super You doesn’t offer passive immersion. It brings you AR costumes that respond to movement in real-time.
“This project combines our fascination for mixing timeless figurative representation with emerging technologies to create new forms of soulful digital expressions. By democratizing the artwork through releasing this app to the public, we look forward to seeing the crazy, funny, inventive unexpected results,” said Matt Pyke, founder of Universal Everything, in a press release shared with ARPost.
Transforming in Augmented Reality
Universal Everything created Super You in Unity, using Apple’s ARKit 3.5. They developed it as part of an art series called Future Human, which is their exploration of artificial forms.
Super You features the latest in body tracking technology. This makes it capable of transforming the human body using different costumes in AR. With an iPhone or an iPad, you simply have to point the camera at the subject. You can then choose among 11 costumes by swiping on your screen.
Once you’ve made a selection, you can watch your subject transform into their character. Moreover, you can see them maintain their appearance in AR as they move around. They can do these transformations while strolling around the park or dancing around the bedroom.
As mentioned, unlike many AR apps, Super You doesn’t offer passive immersive experiences. Instead, it responds to movement in real-time, allowing your subject to maintain their costume as they move. The app is responsive to the subject’s clothes. That means the app will match the AR costume to the clothes that the subject is wearing. As the technology evolves, the app could be responsive to other factors such as voice or the seasons.
With this technology, you can make fun, interesting visual content. Aside from photos, you can also make short clips of your AR creations. You can even share your work online with fellow artists and AR enthusiasts. Use the #SuperYouAR hashtag to discover and be discovered among other creators.
The Future of Augmented Reality
According to a company representative, they think Super You uncovers the potential of augmented reality and body-centric experiences to defy material possibility. In addition, they believe that it holds AR’s potential to defy gravity and financial resources.
Think of an intricate, heavily embellished gown.
The average person probably won’t be able to wear – let alone buy – such expensive pieces in their lifetime. However, in AR, it is possible.
“Now it’s possible to show such a garment being worn,” the representative said in a statement.
“And not as an AR ‘sticker’ superimposed in front of the body, but as a real-time body tracked garment which moves with you. The only limit for garments or costumes in performance art or fashion now would be your imagination.”
As the technology continues to evolve, its applications might have a place in runways, dance floors, or retail. It could also give artists a chance to express themselves creatively in AR without having to spend all their resources on these art projects.
The company does intend to develop the app further. As a matter of fact, they have ongoing experiments with artificial forms. They’re looking forward to designing new costumes for the app. Furthermore, they have plans to add new functionalities that enable creators to customize the costumes in great detail.
Super You is compatible with Apple gadgets with the A12 and A13 chip. For iPhones, that includes XS, XR, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, and SE (2020). Aside from these, the iPad Pro 2019 can be used to access the app. Your device must also be powered with iOS 13 or above.
The augmented reality app is now available for iOS creators worldwide. It’s available for free with no in-app purchases.
