Google Brings Pac-Man, Hello Kitty, and More to Life With AR

Google has been entertaining us with its AR search for quite some time now. Through the Google app, you can get a 3D representation of many animals, objects, and places, right on your smartphone.

For example, you can virtually visit many cultural sites or study a range of 3D insects as they roam across your living room.

And now, the tech giant is giving us a chance to view and interact with some of the most-searched-for Japanese characters as augmented reality objects.

Watch 14 Japanese Characters Come to Life in Your Surroundings

There have been many truly classic Japanese anime, games, and TV shows released over the years. And the characters that starred in them have remained popular worldwide.

Google has made it possible to bring 14 of the most-searched-for characters from anime, video games, and TV shows into your environment. Pac-Man is currently leading the pack in terms of worldwide search interest for Japanese character. The next most popular Japanese character is Hello Kitty, and Google has also included her in this list.

In a post on The Keyword, Google highlighted that anime is still the biggest worldwide trend amongst Japanese popular culture phenomenons:

When it comes to the broader trends, anime wins out. It’s more popular than video games worldwide, with interest for anime climbing to its highest peak on record in the past month. That’s pretty amazing — and in fact, search interest for 'anime sugoi' (or 'anime is amazing') has spiked 2,300% in the past five years globally.

Here’s the full list of the characters that are now viewable in augmented reality:

Pac-Man
Hello Kitty
Evangelion
Gomora
Xi Gundam
Gundam Penelope
Gundam Odysseus
Cogimyun
Pompompurin
Ultraman
Ultraman Zero
Ultraman Belial
Little Twin Stars
Taiko no Tatsujin

How to View the AR Versions of Popular Japanese Characters

To place the augmented reality Hello Kitty or any other of the characters listed above into your surroundings, you just need a smartphone and the Google app. Here’s what you should do:

If you’re using an Android device, open the Google app or use Google Search. On iOS devices, launch the Google app.
Type in the name of the Japanese character that you wish to view.
Tap View in 3D. You can interact with the character right on your device. If you wish to place the character into your environment, tap View in your space.

Image Gallery (2 Images)

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Make sure that you turn up the volume on your phone to get both the visual and audio experience. You can zoom in and rotate the AR character to view it from every angle. Also, it’s possible to record augmented reality videos or even to take a picture with the character.

Augmented Reality Is on the Rise

More and more tech companies are trying to implement AR technology in their products and services. Microsoft's AR glasses patent and Snap's digital monuments are just two examples of how entertaining and educational augmented reality can be when used well.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

source https://www.makeuseof.com/google-japanese-characters-ar-augmented-reality/