Google now lets you play with digital insects in AR
If you’re a fan of all sorts of creepy crawlies but you don’t actually want to see them in your living room, there’s a way for you to look at them and even “play” with them digitally. Google has now added Augmented Reality insects into the search results. Previously, they’ve added dinosaurs, cats, bears, and other animals that you can place in your room and view in actual size. This is a good tool to use for home lessons for kids as they learn more about animals or just something fun to do when you’re bored or curious.
Not a lot of people are fond of insects but if you want or need to see them up close, the best way would be to do it virtually. Search for the names of the insects included in your Google app and in the search results, you’ll see a “view in 3D” option and then “view in your space” if you want to, well, view it in your space. Once you tap it, just follow the instructions as it will sometimes ask you to move your phone around the floor area. You can view the insects in their actual size or something bigger if you want to examine them closely.
Having AR animals available in Google search is one way to help kids in their biology lessons. Yes you can view pictures and even videos of these creepy crawlies, but there’s something about looking at them up close and personal that may help in our understanding of the often misunderstood insects. If you still can’t stand them in person, then at least you have this option to view them and even take a selfie with them, as per The Verge.
Of course to be able to see these insects and the other animals in all their AR glory, you will need to have an ARCore-supported device. You’ll also need the Google app or at least Chrome. You can also search in other browsers but once you choose view in 3D, you’ll be redirected to the Google app. So probably best to just search for it on the Google app.
If you’re interested, here are the insects you can search for: rhinoceros beetle, Hercules beetle, Atlas beetle, stag beetle, giant stag, Miyama stag beetle, shining ball scarab beetle, jewel beetle, ladybug, firefly, Rosalia batesi, swallowtail butterfly, morpho butterfly, atlas moth, mantis, grasshopper, dragonfly, hornet, robust cicada, brown cicada, periodical cicada, Walker’s cicada, and evening cicada.
