Minecraft Reality – Augmented Reality for Your Creations

Following the news that Minecraft has been ported to the Raspberry Pi, Mojang has announced a new augmented reality iOS app. You can download it now from the official Apple App Store for $1.99.

Enough talk, here’s the video:

Imagine being able to dump your Minecraft creations into the real world for other people to find. You could put an exploding creeper in your school, a cheeky pig in your garden, or a giant enemy crab on the beach, if you like.

Yet the app wasn’t built just by Mojang; it was developed by the mobile computer vision company 13th Lab. The app uses your iOS device’s camera to track your surroundings before projecting creations onto the landscape. Not only can you see the results on your screen, but you can change their size as you please, and also walk around them to view from different angles.

Furthermore, the app uses GPS technology so that you can plant your creations in specific places in the world for other people to find. Minecraft Reality users can use the app to view your builds in all their glory.

The full feature set is as follows:

• View Minecraft worlds tied to reality using advanced computer vision and augmented reality.
• Find Minecraft worlds that others have placed in locations nearby.
• Upload your own Minecraft worlds at MinecraftReality.com.
• Share screenshots of Minecraft worlds in reality to Facebook and Twitter.

Here are a few iPhone screenshots:

As you can see, the app is all about sharing your creations with the rest of the world, as well as finding what other users have placed. The app is Mojang’s way of bringing Minecraft to a larger audience, and maybe even getting non-geeks interested in the game. It’s a brilliant idea but, as the app isn’t free, the uptake will probably be fairly slow.