Leading AR developer Niantic introduces Wol, the first mixed reality experience which combines artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality. Your surroundings transform into a redwood forest that can be explored from the browser, without the need for an app.
Wol is a web experience that can be accessed with i Meta Quest Pro headsets e Meta Quest 2or from smartphone iOS o Android. The project was born to show the Metaversal Deployment system of the Niantic 8th Wall platform, proprietary for programming in WebAR. With Wol, the Californian software house wants connect the user to the real world and encourage him to explore, using a mixed reality headset for the first time.
Explore the redwood forest of Wol and meet artificial intelligence
Wol is an acadian owl, a small bird of prey that lives in North America, which introduces itself as a user guide. A in the AR portal opens access to the redwood forest, which the user can explore supported by artificial intelligence by Wol. The owl is in fact ready to converse and give information on the ecosystem in which it lives, from the life cycle of trees to the creatures that populate them, in a natural way.
What does Wol
Wol was specifically designed for use with Meta Quest Pro, which blends the physical and virtual environment with a mixed reality color filter. The system is able to map the walls and surfaces and transform them into the redwood forest, surrounding the user with AR ferns and mushrooms among the towering old trees.
From the moment Wol the owl enters the user’s visual space, it is possible interact with her to learn about its history and learn more about the surrounding ecosystem. You can ask Wol to tell a joke and even listen to her sing his favorite songs of him. Thanks to the addition of the hand trackingthe user can pet the owl for an even more realistic experience.
Wol’s generative AI in mixed reality
Niantic’s Wol artificial intelligence owl was created using Inworld AI, a development platform for thegenerative AI. This technology comprises several AI models designed to mimic the human gesturesil languagethe safetythe emotions and the memory. Integration with Niantic 8th Wall brought to life Wol’s distinctive personality and knowledge within the experience.
The combination of mixed reality, GenAI and Metaversal Deployment system make this web experience one completely new to the browser. A project that showcases Niantic’s capabilities in the world of mixed-reality experiences and generative AI.
Niantic 8th Wall: il Metaversal Deployment
The browser-based experience showcases one of Niantic 8th Wall’s most advanced technologies, the Metaversal Deployment. The platform allows developers to program the product once and release it for any device, from smartphones and tablets to the latest mixed reality devices like Meta Quest Pro. Designed for the broadest ecosystem of devices, from flat screens to headsets wearables, Metaversal Deployment allows users toimmersive experience on any device authorized to AR.
The web is a powerful place for augmented reality and we are excited to show how the Niantic 8th Wall platform can be used to create browser-based content that work on all devices, including smartphones and mixed reality headsets. We created Wol to inspire developers to create their own WebAR content that takes advantage of the truly immersive capabilities of mixed reality while benefiting from the massive reach and scale of mobile. We can’t wait to see what they create!
Tom Emrich, Director of Product Management di Niantic.
Wol: an immersive experience for all devices
For the creation of Wol, Niantic collaborated with Liquid City, a design studio specializing in XR and AI. The team developed the project using the 8th Wall Cloud Editor, built from the ground up by Niantic for development in WebAR. The goal is to offer all the tools developers need to create and publish immersive experiences on all devices.
Wol is a truly ambitious project, which brings together the latest technologies of the Niantic 8th Wall platform from Niantic, Inworld and Meta, in a fascinating encounter with a talking owl. We are excited to explore how XR and AI can combine to create new ways to learn. To visit Wol just click on a link: your living room will transform into the redwood forest, whether you’re on a mobile phone or with a viewer. It’s a really simple and accessible way to learn about the forest ecosystem, with a lot of intensity and richness of content.
Keiichi Matsuda, director of Liquid City.